Avoid China rocket debris, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan fishers told

Ilocos Norte and Cagayan fisherfolk are advised to stay cautious of and avoid debris from the Long March 7A rocket that China launched Friday, June 28, 2024, on Hainan Island. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said civilians and non-experts should not retrieve any fallen rocket debris due to its potentially toxic substances. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Ilocos Norte and Cagayan fisherfolk were advised to stay cautious of and avoid debris from China’s Long March 7A rocket that it launched Friday on Hainan Island.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also said civilians and non-experts should not retrieve any fallen rocket debris due to its potentially toxic substances.

China has identified a drop zone of the debris about 75 nautical miles (NM) off the waters of Burgos town and 126 NM from Sta Ana town, according to authorities.

The debris is expected to fall within the identified areas at sea specifically from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the NDRRMC noted.

“[R]etrieving and coming into close proximity to these materials [must be avoided] to minimize risk from remnants of toxic substances such as rocket fuel,” the NDRRMC said, citing the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). It added that people tasked to retrieve the rocket debris must wear personal protective equipment or PPE.

READ: China launches Long March 7 rocket

Local officials and residents were likewise encouraged to adopt safety measures “out of an abundance of caution.”

The Philippine Coast Guard was also advised to release notices to mariners on the identified drop zones from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

PhilSA regularly issues advisories during similar rocket launches.

In June 2023, fishers in Morong town in Bataan province recovered unburned debris from a space cargo ship launched by China’s Long March 7. — Felice Marie Navarette, trainee