Actual Meteor Explodes, Injuring *750 in Russia [Updated]
Sometimes you read a piece of news that reminds you that a lot of luck goes into simply surviving a day. Early this morning, a ten-ton meteor exploded, broke into pieces, blazed through the Siberian skies, and landed over a vast range of land in the Chelyabinsk district of Siberia. 500 have been injured; 14 hospitalized; no one reported dead. Recounted one man, quoted by the Times:
“I was sitting at work and the windows lit up and it was as if the whole city was illuminated, and I looked out and saw a huge streak in the sky and it was like that for two or three minutes and then I heard these noises, like claps…And then all the dogs started barking.”
Updated [8:46 a.m. 2/15/13]
The Russian state news outlet Ria Novosti reports a greater injury toll than the Times does, 725 to 500. It also reports that somewhere between 34 and 112 people have been hospitalized. In addition, 3,000 buildings have been damaged. Meteor fragments, for what its worth, were recorded traveling at 30 km/second. [Ria Novosti]
