MOSCOW — Debris from a
meteor streaked through the sky with a
Many of the injuries were
reported in the city of Chelyabinsk, about 950 miles east of Moscow, in a
region where there are many factories for defense, including nuclear weapons
production. But there was no indication of any damage that resulted in any radiation
leaks, officials said.
The blast was caused
by a 10-ton meteor known as a bolide, which created a powerful shock wave when
it reached the Earth’s atmosphere, the Russian Academy of
Sciences said in a statement. Scientists believe the bolide exploded and
evaporated at a height of about 20 to 30 miles above the Earth’s surface, but
that small fragments — meteorites — may have reached the ground, the statement
said.
Fiery meteors are
not unusual, but they typically evaporate far above the surface of the Earth,
the Russian Academy of Sciences said in its statement. This meteor was unusual
because it was so hard, and may have been made of iron, the statement said.
Nothing similar has been recorded on Russian territory since 2002.
Video clips from Chelyabinsk showed an
early morning sky illuminated by a brilliant flash, followed by the sound of
breaking glass and multiple car alarms. Meteors typically cause sonic booms as
they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. On Friday, the force was powerful enough to
shatter dishes and televisions in people’s homes.
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