thousand(s) assumed dead

clv101 · 3 Mar 2006 at 23:30

February 15, 1996 - A rocket carrying an Intelsat 708 communications satellite explodes soon after take-off from China's launch site in Xichang. http://members.shaw.ca/kcic3/disasters2.html

On February 15, 1996, a Long March 3B rocket veered off course two seconds after take-off from Xichang space center, crashing into a nearby village. The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that 80 homes had been damaged with six people killed and 57 injured. See Intelsat 708. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_rocket

malfunkshun · 3 Mar 2006 at 23:31

daveyj27 said:
My wife seems to do ok....FACT.

The Enron accounts people seemed to do ok too, and look what happened there

(actually they were good at deliberately miscalculating so perhaps not a good example)

Im pretty sure i have seen something about the video clip before though. Certainly makes me think its not all that recent. But my mind is failing so maybe not.

SexyGreyFox · 3 Mar 2006 at 23:45

http://www.disturbinthepeace.co.uk/pics3/xichang.jpg

Best I could do.

And can I have my first ever WTLD (decade) post on here even though its quite interesting.
Just shows how China cover things up.

Inquisitor · 4 Mar 2006 at 01:46

Roduga said:
The OcUK forums, at the cutting edge of the news.

cheets64 · 4 Mar 2006 at 01:49

After looking at it, it doesnt really look like a site that has been hit or blown to bits from a rocket, Im sure the force of a rocket crashing with full fuel is close to an atom bomb.

Che · 4 Mar 2006 at 01:57

Why did they launch it so close to a settlement? It's not like they've got a small country, even with a population of over a billion

The Russians and Americans launched there rockets in the middle of Kazakhstan and near the sea for a reason!

edit - and we launched ours in the middle of the Australian outback :cool:

Inquisitor · 4 Mar 2006 at 02:05

cheets64 said:
After looking at it, it doesnt really look like a site that has been hit or blown to bits from a rocket, Im sure the force of a rocket crashing with full fuel is close to an atom bomb.

Not even close. A small nuclear bomb would have a payload of about 20kilotons. That's an explosive force equal to about 7 Saturn V rockets (largest rocket ever made) made each made entirely of TNT

homerio · 4 Mar 2006 at 02:42

Oooo I turned 11 on that day

alexakasloth · 4 Mar 2006 at 07:54

The Chinese government has issued a report; There was no missile, there was no complications, no people died. It is a conspiracy from the west.

Fusion · 4 Mar 2006 at 09:54

I'm sure that thousands dead is somewhat an exaggeration.

afraser2k · 4 Mar 2006 at 10:05

Don't be so sure, with all of China's problems in the North of the country due to corrupt politicians taking land from villagers, there's been a lot of riots with thousands reported dead.

Wonder why the BBC are keeping this quiet with only a few online reports?

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4739866.stm

Moredhel · 4 Mar 2006 at 10:27

Che said:
Why did they launch it so close to a settlement? It's not like they've got a small country, even with a population of over a billion The Russians and Americans launched there rockets in the middle of Kazakhstan and near the sea for a reason!

edit - and we launched ours in the middle of the Australian outback

The americans launch theirs where they do to be as close to the equator as possible, the closer to the equator you are, the more of a "slingshot" effect you get.

Same reason the EU spent billions designing a floating launch platform, so launches could be done from on the equator, using less fuel and saving money in the long run.

masterk · 4 Mar 2006 at 10:42

Im just going to make sure i never buy a Chinese car.

Seriously though, they must have kept it quiet, this is the first i knew of it.

aardvark · 4 Mar 2006 at 12:48

these things happen all the time in china - hundreds die in mining accidents but it rarely makes the news - life is cheap in china, sad but true - they just move on and continue working.