Watch video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-0iwBEswE

Close-up of crater:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cT8vZ-7vxQ

At least one meteorite crashed into Russia earlier today, causing several giant explosions and forcing schools and offices to be evacuated. The meteorite reportedly landed in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia, where witnesses said the explosions shattered the windows of nearby buildings and disrupted cell phone service. There were over 400 injuries, and damage was reported in six cities. Information is still coming in and we'll update accordingly, but for now check out the amazing videos and photos from the scene. There's more at Russian Machine Never Breaks. Also: holy shit.
UPDATE: RT is now reporting, citing unconfirmed military sources, that the meteorite was intercepted by Russian air defense forces, who reportedly used a missile to destroy it while it was still 20 km in the air.
UPDATE 2: It remains unclear if there were any injuries. The BBC is reporting there were injuries, but Reuters cites an official that says no one was hurt .
UPDATE 3: As a commenter pointed out, a small asteroid was expected to pass by Earth early Friday, though there's no confirmation that this had anything to do with the meteorite crash in Russia. Russian Machine cites a Slate article by Phil Plait about the asteroid:

On Friday, Feb. 15, the Earth is going to get a very close shave byan asteroid*. Called 2012 DA14, this 50 meter (160 foot) rock will pass just over 27,000 kilometers (17,000 miles) from the Earth's surface. This is closer than our geosynchronous satellites, so this really is a close pass!
But, to be very clear: This asteroidposes no threat to us right now, nor in the foreseeable future. Friday's miss is just that: a miss. And, in fact, this is a good thing, since any time an asteroid gets close (but misses), we learn a lot, including how to find them, how to track them, and even how to talk about them to the public.
Plait's reaction to the news from Russia?
I don't *think* this meteor is related to #2012DA14 ; a solid 12+ hours ahead; DA14 is still pretty far out. Coincidence?
— Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) February 15, 2013
UPDATE 4: RT is now reporting up to 100 injuries. There are still conflicting reports about the meteorite itself. As CBS reports : "A spokeswoman for Russia's Emergency Ministry, Irina Rossius, told The Associated Press there was a meteor shower, but another ministry spokeswoman, Elena Smirnikh, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying it was a single meteorite."

UPDATE 5: There are now 292 confirmed injuries , including at least 12 children. Most of the injuries are from broken glass.

UPDATE 6: The injury total is now at over 400, and buildings were damaged in six cities.

BREAKING UPDATE: Over 400 minor injuries, buildings damaged in 6 cities as meteorite hits #Russia on.rt.com/qyevxi #RussianMeteor
— RT (@RT_com) February 15, 2013

_
http://gawker.com/5984470/apparent-meteorite-crash-in-russia-causes-giant-explosions-forces-evacuation-of-nearby-offices-and-schools

I hope we don't encounter one that will knock earth out of its orbit o

Videos:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-0iwBEswE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cRHsApzt8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7mLUIDGqmw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np_mpGYSBSA

End time things

CHOI.... INTERCEPTED BY MISSILES!!! THEY WERE ALL ALERT! WAITING FOR ANY IMMINENT DANGER!
ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR FAITH IF THIS WERE TO BE IN NIGERIA! TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL BE LIKE

CNN- A GIANT METEORITE WASHES OUT THE GIANT OF AFRICA

ALJAZEERA- METEORITE STRIKES NIGERIA TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NATIONS CUP; BURKINA FASO SUSPECTED

BBC- METEORITE SHOWERS ECLIPSE OUR FORMER COLONY; MI7 ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BANCE!

Jeez

Oh my. just like d movies

DAMN...I'd like to imagine none was hurt though.

But trust NLders, next comment well concern "End times"

Legit1: I hope we don't encounter one that will knock earth out of its orbit o

lol, why not?
are you scared of death ni? at least we'll all be together. I can't think of a happier ending.

Thanks to white ppl for making huge effort to protect our dear Planet from being doomed.

BY THE GODS!


reminds me of how in pre-islamic Arabia, meteors were collected as signs from the Gods and used as temple stones, like the Black stone in the Kaabah.

Pastor Olukoya's prophecy, already coming true?

God please, protect your own in Nigeria.

end time is coming

BoboYekini:
lol, why not?
are you scared of death ni? at least we'll all be together. I can't think of a happier ending.

Death is the least thing to worry about here, the possible effects it could have on our ecosystem and the course to re-adaptation?

bababuff: Pastor Olukoya's prophecy, already coming true?

God please, protect your own in Nigeria.

LOOOL REALLY??

See exaggeration!!! 400 injured?? Missile interception?? When is this movie availalable on HD DVD??

kramer: See exaggeration!!! 400 injured?? Missile interception?? When is this movie availalable on HD DVD??

are u that backwards? Its real...

Is meteriolite or wateva part of end time signs.. Did the bible say ' at d end big stones shall fall from outer space'? Mtcheeew

Science

i'm not shocked... inshort more is expected but they will not tell u cuz of unbelief n panic

Imagine one knocks earth off it's orbit and we lose gravity, scary

Parnassuss: DAMN...I'd like to imagine none was hurt though.

But trust NLders, next comment well concern "End times"

it has being said already
abeg bring the beans & bread jooooooor

Biggysmalls919: are u that backwards? Its real...

Ogbeni yii! Park your legedez benz and read my comment again.

Of course its real, if you weren't so myopic you would see that my comment was targeted at the report of 400injured (which may or may not be true) and the missile inerception (which is harder to believe)

Try again

exxell: CHOI.... INTERCEPTED BY MISSILES!!! THEY WERE ALL ALERT! WAITING FOR ANY IMMINENT DANGER!
ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR FAITH IF THIS WERE TO BE IN NIGERIA! TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL BE LIKE

CNN- A GIANT METEORITE WASHES OUT THE GIANT OF AFRICA

ALJAZEERASunnewspaper- METEORITE STRIKES NIGERIA TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NATIONS CUP; BURKINA FASO SUSPECTED

BBC- METEORITE SHOWERS ECLIPSE OUR FORMER COLONY; MI7 ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BANCE!

[b][/b]KOLO

exxell: CHOI.... INTERCEPTED BY MISSILES!!! THEY WERE ALL ALERT! WAITING FOR ANY IMMINENT DANGER!
ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR FAITH IF THIS WERE TO BE IN NIGERIA! TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL BE LIKE

CNN- A GIANT METEORITE WASHES OUT THE GIANT OF AFRICA

ALJAZEERA- METEORITE STRIKES NIGERIA TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NATIONS CUP; BURKINA FASO SUSPECTED

BBC- METEORITE SHOWERS ECLIPSE OUR FORMER COLONY; MI7 ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BANCE!

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

So Russian Missiles intercepted the Meteorite.

I pray we never experience any strange stuff around naija, because the rest will be history

Am i watching superman or wat? Clark Kent and kryptonite/meteor rocks... Just hope dat fantasy hasnt turned 2 reality.. Anyway, its a tragedy.

nigerian would have detected via DSTV cable

kramer:

Ogbeni yii! Park your legedez benz and read my comment again.

Of course its real, if you weren't so myopic you would see that my comment was targeted at the report of 400injured (which may or may not be true) and the missile inerception (which is harder to believe)

Try again

you are still not making sense. you probably still belong to the past

I always taught due to the predomonance of water to land on earth these things will have a higher probability of crashing into the sea. That means one of these decommissioned satelites can just fall in someone's head on day.

rafhell:

you are still not making sense. you probably still belong to the past

Tell me what you don't understand and I'll try my best to break it down so that it will make sense to you.

BTW did you notice that the article said "unconfirmed" reports of missile interception right?