February 15th, 2013
09:55 AM ET

Report: 1,000 injured in Russian meteor blast

[Updated at 9:55 a.m. ET] The injury count in Friday's meteor blast over Russia is rising as the day goes on.

About 1,000 people - including 200 children - have been reported hurt by shockwaves or fragments from a meteor that exploded over central Russia, according to Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency. Most were hurt by broken glass, and about two-thirds of the injuries were very minor, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Chelyabinsk region's governor.

More than 250 buildings have sustained damage - mostly broken glass - as a result of the shock waves caused by the blast, said Vladimir Stepanov, of the National Center for Emergency Situations at the Russian Interior Ministry.

[Posted at 3:49 a.m. ET] A meteor shower sparked an explosion that left 250 people injured Friday in southern Russia, state media reported.

Of the hundreds, at least three were critically injured by broken glass, state-run RIA Novosti reported.

A bright white flash appeared in the sky for a few seconds, followed by a heavy "bang" that sounded like a blast, according to Russian News Agency Itar-Tass.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Weather • World
soundoff (34 Responses)
  1. Adrian

    And WHERE did it Land ?

    February 15, 2013 at 1:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • KrayzieBone

      Notice the people walking around and not looking at all concerned. Most of them Never looked up which i find kinda WIERD!

      February 17, 2013 at 7:51 pm | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    @ Simon, i am NOT a religous nut! It was a joke and you need to lighten up!

    February 15, 2013 at 1:42 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Olga

    @Adrian It didn't land. It exploded in the mid air. Actually there hundreds severely injured and tens death.

    February 15, 2013 at 2:09 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Anthony

    Video looks like something straight out of a movie. That would of been so cool, and yet scary to see first hand.

    February 15, 2013 at 3:24 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Spaceman Spliff

    A crumbly rock meteor just has to fall apart all at once at hypersonic speed and the shockwave can be in the megaton range, as seen in the Tunguska meteorite's effects. All that speed and momentum comes to a screeching halt and the shockwave is most of that energy in supersonic shockwave form.

    February 15, 2013 at 3:47 pm | Report abuse |
  6. BOMBO

    A heavy bang that sounded like a blast. I would have said a blast that sounded like a heavy bang. But I didn't go to journalism school.

    February 15, 2013 at 9:52 pm | Report abuse |
  7. balij

    Exclusive pictures of Meteorite Shower crash into Russia and

    Interview with Mr. Afanasi boris ( One of the Witnesses of Crash) is Availabe at

    wallstnews.blogspot. com

    February 16, 2013 at 11:28 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Barack Obama

    That would be great if it would have happened in the us above the White House.

    March 26, 2013 at 3:16 pm | Report abuse |
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