40 people still in hospital after Russia meteor explosion

More than half the windows broken by shock wave have been replaced

The Associated Press

Posted: Feb 17, 2013 7:58 AM ET

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2013 10:35 AM ET

The meteor that streaked through the sky and exploded Friday over Russia's Ural Mountains created a fireball and intense flash of light, which momentarily was brighter than the sun. (Associated Press)

Authorities in a Russian city say more than half of the acres of windows smashed in the city by an exploding meteor's shock wave have been replaced.

Friday's explosion, estimated to be equivalent to several atomic bombs, shattered glass in more than 4,000 buildings in Chelyabinsk and the surrounding region, leaving residents vulnerable in temperatures well below freezing.

About 1,200 people were injured, mostly by broken glass, with 40 still hospitalized Sunday, the ITAR-Tass news agency said, citing Emergency Ministry figures.

The Chelyabinsk city administration said in a Sunday statement that nearly 60 per cent of the city's broken windows had been replaced.

Pieces of the meteor are believed to have fallen into an ice-covered lake about 80 kilometres outside the city, but no fragments have been reported found.

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