MOSCOW (TIP) — A meteor shower rained down oncentral Russia, sowing panic as the hurtling spacedebris exploded in the air, blew out windows and leftseveral people injured, officials and agencies reported.”A meteorite disintegrated above the Urals (mountainrange in central Russia), partially burning up in thelower atmosphere,” the local office of the nationalemergencies ministry said in a satement, releasedFriday.

“Fragments of the meteorite reached Earth, falling insparsely populated areas in the Chelyabinsk region,” itsaid.”According to preliminary information, four peoplehave been injured by flying glass,” it said.”At 11:00 am local time (0500 GMT) we receivednumerous calls of panic, power cuts and contusions,”Interfax cited the local government as saying.