According to a statement by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, the country's unmanned Proton-M rocket - which was launched from a base in Kazakhstan on Tuesday - crashed shortly after take-off. The rocket was carrying three Glonass navigation satellites worth almost 4.4 billion rubles ($144 million).

Reporting the crash of the Proton-M rocket, Roscosmos revealed that, within 17 seconds of its flight, the booster unexpectedly shut down the engine; and crashed at a distance of nearly 1.6 miles -that is, approximately 2.5 kilometers - from the Baikonur launch pad.

A footage telecast on state television channel Rossiya 24 shows that the rocket deviated from its course and broke apart in flames. A report by the state-run news service RIA Novosti has hinted that the rocket's crash - which marks the latest space-venture-related mishap for Russia - was seemingly a result of the failure of its first-stage engine.

As per an account of the disastrous incident by Interfax news agency, quoting Kazakh Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Bozhkov, the site of the rocket crash was enveloped by a cloud of toxic gas from spilled rocket fuel.

Bozhkov reportedly told Interfax that the Baikonur launch pad was completely blanketed by burning rocket fuel; and also said that the authorities have not yet ascertained the potential danger which the rocket's crash has caused to the environment.