During the test run, the first stage of the rocket came off its mounts and rose into the air.
16:26•Updated 16:35
The rocket of the Chinese space company Beijing Tianbing Technology accidentally took off today during a test run.
The first stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket detached from its holders due to a technical fault. The rocket flew about 1.5 kilometers and landed in a mountainous area near the city of Gongyi in central China.
No one is known to have been injured in the accident, the company says in a press release sent to the WeChat messaging service.
The rocket fell in the safe zone, but caused a local wildfire.
The second stage of the Tianlong-3 rocket is designed to be partly reusable.