US Navy releases photos of China spy balloon debris

The US Navy has released photos of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot out of the sky on Saturday.

The US Fleet Forces Command posted several photos on its Facebook page showing large debris of the balloon being hauled into a boat.

The post said the sailors retrieving the debris on Sunday were part of the Navy’s specialist explosives team.

The device will now be examined to see whether it was indeed spy equipment.

US officials have described the balloon as being about 200 ft (60m) tall, with the payload portion comparable in size to regional airliners and weighing hundreds – or potentially thousands – of pounds.

China has repeatedly insisted that the “airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an accident”.

(BBC)