Debris from Chinese rocket flies over UAE before its crash to Earth

The wreckage is expected to fall into the Indian Ocean

A Long March-5B Y4 rocket, carrying the Mengtian lab module for China's space station, takes off from Hainan province. Reuters

The construction of China's Tiangong space station has been completed, after the Mengtian module docked with the orbiting laboratory. Photo: China Manned Space Agency

The Mengtian module docked with the Tiangong space station on Monday. Photo: Chinese Manned Space Agency

The module docks with the space station, completing the construction of the structure. Photo: China Manned Space Agency

Crowds watch it blast off at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre in southern China. AP

Enormous pieces of debris from a Chinese rocket flew over the UAE on Friday afternoon before its expected crash to Earth.

The remnants from the Long March 5B rocket, China's largest, will make an uncontrolled re-entry iand is expected to fall into the Indian Ocean.

It flew over the UAE at a safe distance travelling in the direction of Australia.

These are leftover pieces from the rocket that on Monday launched the Mengtian module — the last component of China’s Tiangong space station.

Authorities in Spain temporarily closed the airspace over several of its airports, because the debris will fly over Europe later on Friday, including Barcelona, Tarragona, Reus and Ibiza airports.

Earlier this week, the Philippines Space Agency issued a warning to the public that the drop zone was expected to be near its islands.

This is not the first time pieces of a Chinese rocket have made an uncontrolled re-entry.

On July 30, remnants of another Long March 5B fell back to Earth after blazing a fiery trail over the Indian Ocean.

In May, parts of another Long March 5B made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and fell into the Indian Ocean.