Celestial damage in central Russia as meteor explodes Up to 400 people have been injured after a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk in central Russia, according to local reports. Russia's Emergencies Ministry puts the number of wounded people at 150. Chelyabinsk city officials say the blast happened at an altitude of 10,000 metres with the meteor breaking apart and causing a shower as it entered the Earth's atmosphere at around 9:20 in the morning local time. A number of buildings have been damaged in the industrial city of Chelyabinsk,1,500 kilometres east of Moscow. The meteor explosion and shower set off car alarms, shattered windows and disrupted the mobile phone network. Six hundred square metres of the roof of a zinc factory collapsed, according to the Interior Ministry. City officials have urged people to stay indoors unless they need to pick their children up from schools and nurseries. More about: Russia, Space science