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Meteor shower hits Russia

February 15, 2013

A meteor shower has rained down on central Russia, reportedly injuring hundreds of people and causing widespread damage. Witnesses in the Ural region reported flashes and sharp explosions in the morning sky.

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The trail of a falling object is seen above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk (Reuters)
Image: REUTERS/OOO Spetszakaz

The Russian Interior Ministry announced that at least 250 people were injured early Friday when meteor fragments hit the sparsely populated Urals region of Chelyabinsk.

Most of those injured were treated for minor cuts and bruises from shattered glass broken by the explosions, the local police department told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. The impact reportedly blew out windows from a number of buildings, although the extent of the damage remains unclear.

"A meteorite disintegrated above the Urals [mountain range in central Russia], partially burning up in the lower atmosphere," the local office of the national Emergencies Ministry announced in a statement.

"At 11 a.m. local time [0500 GMT] we received numerous calls of panic, power cuts and contusions," the Interfax news agency quoted the local government as saying.

A nuclear power plant in the region is thought to have been unaffected.

ccp/mkg (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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Video: Meteor shower hits Russia

Video: Meteor shower hits Russia

Meteors have slammed into central Russia. A factory took a direct hit. The meteor shower caused windows in the area to smash, injuring many locals.
February 15, 201301:39 min