Russian rocket crashes in satellites launch

MOSCOW - A Proton-M rocket crashed one minute after blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.

Live TV broadcast showed that the rocket, carrying three Glonass-M satellites, changed its flight direction a few seconds after takeoff, falling and exploding over the space center.

Specialists were immediately evacuated from launch pads nearby, as a toxic cloud generated by the rocket fuel appeared over the site.

"There was an accident during the Proton-M launch. The rocket fell and exploded on the territory of the launch site," a Roscosmos spokesman said, adding an investigation commission has been set up.

A combination photograph shows still frames taken from a video of an unmanned Russian Proton-M booster rocket, as it launches, veering off course and its crash (top to bottom) in Baikonur July 2, 2013. The rocket carrying three navigation satellites crashed shortly after lift-off from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, spilling its highly toxic propellant. Television showed footage of the Proton-M booster rocket veering off course seconds after lift-off. It fell apart in flames in the air and crashed in a big ball of fire near the launch pad. There were no reported injuries. [Photo/Agencies]