Washington (AFP) – North Korea’s attempted launch of what appeared to be a medium-range missile was a “fiery, catastrophic” failure, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday. 

“I can tell you it was a fiery, catastrophic attempt at a launch that was not successful,” Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. 

He added that the missile was likely “road-mobile” — or transportable — because it had been launched from an area on the east coast of North Korea where tests don’t normally occur.