Residents of Tibet’s Mangra County were jolted on Monday when flaming debris, believed to be from a Chinese rocket—crashed into open grasslands, sparking a massive fire and releasing thick, toxic orange smoke.
Videos circulating online show fiery fragments hurtling toward the ground as locals shout in panic. One clip, shared by the Tibetan news outlet Phayul, captures a voice screaming, “Oh my God, rocket debris is falling!” as dense yellow fumes billow into the air.
Likely linked to China’s long March-2D launch
According to Phayul as cited by ANI, the debris most likely came from China’s Long March-2D rocket, which launched the experimental Shiyan-31 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 13 around 6 pm (local time).
According to the ANI report, Chinese authorities have not officially confirmed the link, but the timing and trajectory of the launch closely match the fall site in Amdo’s Mangra County. The state-run Xinhua News Agency described the Shiyan-31 mission as a test of new optical imaging technologies, marking the 599th flight in the Long March rocket series.
Not the first incident in Tibet
This is not the first time rocket debris from Chinese launches has landed over populated Tibetan regions. In December 2023, a similar incident in Drayap County, Kham, sparked fires and panic when falling metal fragments rained down near homes and farmland.
Despite repeated accidents, Beijing has failed to adopt protective measures such as controlled re-entry systems or pre-launch evacuation alerts for Tibetan settlements, precautions occasionally implemented in mainland provinces.
Toxic smoke points to dangerous rocket fuel
The thick orange smoke seen in the videos is consistent with the combustion of nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), two highly toxic chemicals used in Chinese rocket propellants.
“These compounds are extremely hazardous and carcinogenic,” said rocket analyst Markus Schiller, quoted by Phayul. “Exposure can lead to severe long-term health effects.”
Experts warn that the spread of these substances in Tibet’s air, soil, and water could pose grave risks to human health and livestock, especially in areas with limited medical infrastructure.
Environmentalists warn of broader fallout
Environmental groups and rights activists, as cited by ANI, have accused Beijing of neglecting both human safety and ecological responsibility. They warn that recurring rocket debris incidents threaten Tibet’s fragile ecosystem, often called the “Third Pole” for its massive glaciers that feed Asia’s major rivers.
“Every crash risks contaminating the plateau’s soil and water systems,” said Nathan Proctor of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). “It’s not just a local issue, it endangers the entire downstream population that depends on Tibet’s rivers.”
A pattern of carelessness?
China’s rapid expansion of its space program has drawn admiration for its technological progress but also criticism for reckless launch practices, ANI reported.
Unlike NASA or the European Space Agency, which use ocean-based drop zones or self-destruct mechanisms for spent rocket stages, China continues to let large boosters fall back uncontrolled, often over inhabited or ecologically sensitive areas.
For residents in Tibet, that negligence has become a recurring nightmare. As one Tibetan resident reportedly said in a local post: “We never know when something will fall from the sky again.”
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