Intelsat-708 Xichang Rocket Crash 1996
In February 1996, China's Long March 3B rocket carrying the Intelsat-708 satellite veered wildly off course just seconds after liftoff from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The booster pitched sideways, slammed into a hillside, and plowed through the nearby village of Mayelin, flattening homes and creating a massive fireball.
China's official report claimed six deaths and 57 injuries, mostly technicians or soldiers at the site. But foreign observers and eyewitnesses believed the toll was much higher, possibly in the dozens or even hundreds, up 300, sparking accusations of a government cover-up. The secrecy surrounding the crash, combined with horrifying footage captured by Western news crews, cemented the Intelsat-708 disaster as one of the worst rocket accidents in history.