Debris from a suspected rocket launch has been discovered off the coast of a remote island in the Philippines.
Coastguards confirmed they had received reports of wreckage found near the Balading settlement on Bisucay Islandoff the coast of Cuyo.
A response team was deployed at 6.46am local time on Wednesday to transport the parts to the Coast Guard Station in Eastern Palawan.
The discovery comes weeks after the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) warned debris from China’s Long March 12 rocket was likely to fall into water off the coast of Puerto Princesa in Palawan.
PhilSA said at the time it couldn’t rule out an uncontrolled descent and that there was a possibility pieces of debris could land on the ground or even hit aircraft and buildings.
Details of the launch were shared between the two countries through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning of an ‘aerospace flight activity’.
It is unclear whether the recovered wreckage is from the Long March 12, or whether it came from something else entirely.
Coast Guard District Palawan confirmed maritime authorities were examining the debris to determine its origin.
It added: ‘The Philippine Coast Guard assures the public that appropriate safety measures are in place while the investigation is ongoing.
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