A Long March 3b rocket with the Intelsat 708 satellite launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China on February 14, 1996, crashed into a rural village after liftoff, killing an estimated 200 to 500 people Read more
The nature and extent of the damage remain a subject of dispute; the Chinese government, through its official Xinhua news agency, initially reported that six people were killed and 57 injured. Read more
Intelsat 708 was a telecommunications satellite built by the American company Space Systems/Loral intended to be launched into a geostationary orbit and operated by Intelsat. It was destroyed during a launch failure on February 15, 1996, causing fatalities near the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre at Xichang, People's Republic of China, and prompting political controversy around the world. Read more