Indian space rocket explodes soon after launch

A space rocket carrying communications equipment exploded soon after takeoff Saturday evening in India, the official national news agency reported.

The unmanned rocket strayed from its flight path and broke into pieces, according to the Press Trust of India.

Video of the incident showed huge plumes of white and copper-colored smoke streaming across the sky.

CNN's sister network, CNN-IBN, reported that the rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. Its launch was originally scheduled for December 20, but had been postponed because of an engine leak, CNN-IBN said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the failure, which the Press Trust called a setback to India's space program.