Indonesian authorities are examining metal debris found in a palm oil plantation near Sampit, Central Kalimantan, after residents heard a loud sound on October 18. Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, BRIN, says a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket body is the strongly suspected source. A worker discovered the first fragment on October 19, and AFP reported on October 20 that another piece had been found about a kilometre away.
BRIN researcher Thomas Djamaluddin said the rocket body's final orbital path crossed Kalimantan north to south and passed near Sampit around 17:36 Western Indonesian Time on October 18, close to the reported disturbance. The agency identifies the tracked body as NORAD 101070, international designation 2026-234L. Airport official Zachrudien told detikKalimantan that aviation, transport-safety and research officials coordinated the identification and moved the debris to Iskandar air base for further examination.
AFP reported no injuries or property damage and said the fragments were being examined at a military air base. BRIN cautions that an orbital match is not the whole identification: shape, materials and markings still need comparison with technical information about the rocket. The evidence points toward a human-made reentry event, not a demonstrated unexplained craft, and the agency's distinction between a strong orbital hypothesis and component-level verification remains important.