Russian Meteor

Meteorites injure hundreds in central Russia

A meteor crashing in Russia's Ural Mountains has injured at least 950 people.

A large meteorite landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a town in Chelyabinsk region.

The meteor's dramatic passing was witnessed in Yekaterinburg, 200 km (125 miles) to the north, and in Kazakhstan, to the south.

   The Russian Academy of Sciences estimates that the meteor weighed about 10 tonnes and entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of at least 54,000 km/h (33,000 mph).

 It would have shattered about 30-50 km (18-32 miles) above ground, with most of the meteor burning up.