Indonesia says sorry for firing test rocket into house

by Staff Writers
Jakarta (AFP) Jan 29, 2010

The Indonesian government has apologised to a woman who lost her leg when a military rocket slammed into her house after a test launch, an official said Friday.
Initially reported as falling safely in a prawn farm, officials now admit the experimental Indonesian-made missile hit a house in Lumajang district of East Java province on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old woman's leg was amputated while her 60-year-old husband was hospitalised with extensive burns, State Ministry of Research and Technology spokeswoman Anny Sulaswatty said.

"We are still investigating why the mistake occurred. It could be because of strong wind at the moment of the launch," she said.

"Compensation has been offered to the victims. This reflects that we are deeply sorry," she added.

The three metre-long (nine-foot) RKN 200 rocket is being developed by a consortium of government bodies including state arms contractor PT Pindad and the research ministry.

The test launch was part of programme of activities supposed to highlight the government's achievements in its first 100 days in office after elections last year.

Indonesia's military spending has tumbled since the fall of the dictator Suharto in the late 1990s.

From: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Indonesia_says_sorry_for_firing_test_rocket_into_house_999.html