A Proton-M launch vehicle launched from the Baikonur space center early on Saturday has failed to place a Mexican satellite into orbit due to the third stage engine's malfunction, a space rocket industry source told Interfax-AVN.

"The third stage engine's emergency cutoff occurred on the 498th second of the flight," the source said.

"Preliminary findings indicate that the third stage coupled with a Mexican satellite may have crashed in the Chita region. The necessary alert message has been sent through the Emergency Situations Ministry channels," he said.