A footage showing the explosion of the Proton-M rocket, which veered off its trajectory and exploded on takeoff at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. - AFP
ALMATY (Kazakhstan): An unmanned Russian carrier rocket exploded Tuesday on takeoff at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, releasing tonnes of highly toxic fuel into the air in the space programme's latest disaster caught on live television.
Spectacular footage showed the Proton-M rocket veering off its trajectory just seconds after its 6:38 am (0238 GMT) launch, before falling apart in mid-air, erupting into a ball of flames and unleashing clouds of noxious black smoke.
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