About 1,000 people, including 200 children, were injured as a result of falling meteorite fragments in Chelyabinsk region. Most injuries are from pieces of broken glass, so they are relatively light.

      Russia’s Urals region has been rocked by a meteorite explosion in the stratosphere. The impact wave damaged several buildings, and blew out thousands of windows amid frigid winter weather. All the city's residents saw very bright blinding flashes and then heard a very loud sound of explosion.

      Roscosmos space agency stated the meteorite had been moving at a speed of 30 km per second. Officials are trying to determine where the fragments have landed. The Chelyabinsk governor said one had fallen in a lake in his region, while others have been reported in the Tyumen, Kurgan and Sverdlovsk regions as well. Background radiation levels reportedly remain unchanged.

      The European Space Agency (ESA) said there was no link between the meteorite and the 2012 DA14 asteroid which is due to pass close by the Earth on Friday, February 15.