spacetoday.net: Chinese capsule lands, hits building

Posted: Mon, Oct 18, 2004, 8:15 AM ET (1215 GMT)
The return capsule of a Chinese spacecraft landed off-course Friday and hit an apartment building, officials confirmed Sunday. The capsule from the FSW-20 spacecraft, launched September 27, returned to Earth on Friday. Chinese media reports initially indicated nothing unusual with the landing, but by Sunday state-run media reported that the capsule hit a four-story apartment building in the village of Penglai in Sichuan Province, coming to rest in an apartment in the top floor. There were no injuries reported; the occupant of the damaged apartment had left just five minutes before the crash. The capsule itself did not appear to be damaged. No information was released about the possible cause of the accident.