Monday 29 December 2014

Hundreds injured as meteor shower sends fireballs crashing to earth in Russia

Natalia Shurmina and Andrey Kuzmin

Published 15/02/2013 | 09:43

OVER 1000 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky in central Russia this morning, sending fireballs crashing to Earth, smashing windows and setting off car alarms.

Residents on their way to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave, according to a correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow.


Chelyabinsk city authorities said about 1000 people sought medical help, mainly for light injuries caused by flying glass.




A local ministry official said the meteor shower may have been connected with an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool that was due to pass Earth at a distance of 27,520 km (17,100 miles) but this could not be confirmed.


A loud noise, resembling an explosion, rang out at around 9.20 a.m. (0520 GMT). The shockwave could be felt in apartment buildings in the industrial city's centre.





Chelyabinsk city authorities urged people to stay indoors unless they needed to pick up their children from schools and kindergartens. They said a blast had been heard at an altitude of 10,000 metres (32,800 feet), apparently signalling it occurred when the meteorite entered Earth's atmosphere.


Television, weather and communications satellites fly about 500 miles (800 km) higher. The moon is 14 times farther away.

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