Chinese Rocket Debris Falls Over Village, Raises Safety Concerns

Suspected debris from a Schinese rocket was ob served falling over a village in southwest China on Saturday, as captured in dramatic videos circulating on Chinese social media and shared with CNN by a local witness.

The incident unfolded shortly after a Long March 2C carrier rocket lifted off at 3 pm local time Saturday (3 am Eastern Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province.

This launch aimed to place into orbit the Space Variable Objects Monitor, a collaborative satellite project between China and France designed to study gammaray bursts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it a priority to elevate China's status as a leading space power, increasing the frequency of missions to enhance China's competitiveness against major global players such as the United States, as reported by CNN.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the state-owned contractor responsible for developing the Long March 2C rocket, declared Saturday's launch a "complete success." CNN reached out to both CASC and the State Council Information Office, which handles press inquiries for the Chinese government and its space agency, for comment on the incident.

Videos posted on Kuaishou, a Chinese shortvideo platform, depicted a cylindrical piece of debris descending over a rural village, crashing near a hill with yellow smoke billowing from one end.

CNN's analysis geolocated the footage to Xianqiao village in Guizhou province, which borders Sichuan to the southeast, where the launch site is situated. The video originated from an IP address in Guizhou and showcased multiple angles of the debris descending, including villagers, including children, fleeing while observing the orange trail in the sky, with some covering their ears in anticipation of the crash.