WESCOM: No reported damage or casualty from Chinese rocket launch

The Philippine military on Saturday said it did not monitor any damage or casualties from China’s Long March 12 rocket launch on Friday.

In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (AFP WESCOM) said residents of Puerto Princesa City "reported hearing a loud explosion-like sound followed by several low-frequency rumbling events at 7:14 am (Friday)."

A white smoke trail was also observed in the city’s airspace, the statement added. 

"Initial assessments from WESCOM indicate that these acoustic events were consistent with sonic booms or atmospheric shockwaves caused by upper-stage rocket separation or the re-entry of spent rocket components associated with the earlier launch," WESCOM said.

"As of this time there is no reported damage or casualty related to the incident. All units under WESCOM are on heightened monitoring and are fully prepared to respond to any contingency."

WESCOM said it continues to coordinate with relevant national and local agencies to track any possible descent of rocket debris.

It also encouraged the public to remain alert and immediately report any sighting or suspected location of debris. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News