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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Blast at space tourism test site | Blast at space tourism test site |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Two people have been killed and four others seriously hurt in an explosion at a rocket-testing site in the US state of California, officials say. | Two people have been killed and four others seriously hurt in an explosion at a rocket-testing site in the US state of California, officials say. |
| The blast happened at the Mojave Air and Space Port, which is owned by the space tourism pioneer Burt Rutan. | |
| Mr Rutan said the incident happened during a test of the flow of nitrous oxide through an injector. | Mr Rutan said the incident happened during a test of the flow of nitrous oxide through an injector. |
| The gas is used to test rockets which Mr Rutan's company is developing to offer tourists a chance to visit space. | The gas is used to test rockets which Mr Rutan's company is developing to offer tourists a chance to visit space. |
| The explosion occurred at 1430 local time (2130 GMT). | The explosion occurred at 1430 local time (2130 GMT). |
| Local TV showed pictures taken from a helicopter showing debris scattered over a wide area of the Mojave desert, north of the city of Los Angeles. | Local TV showed pictures taken from a helicopter showing debris scattered over a wide area of the Mojave desert, north of the city of Los Angeles. |
| Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Rutan - who was not at the site at the time - described the incident as a "very big deal". | Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Rutan - who was not at the site at the time - described the incident as a "very big deal". |