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| Scores ill in Peru 'meteor crash' | Scores ill in Peru 'meteor crash' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Some 600 people in Peru have required treatment after an object from space - said to be a meteorite - plummeted to Earth in a remote area, officials say. | Some 600 people in Peru have required treatment after an object from space - said to be a meteorite - plummeted to Earth in a remote area, officials say. |
| They say the object left a deep crater after crashing down over the weekend near the town of Carancas in the Andes. | They say the object left a deep crater after crashing down over the weekend near the town of Carancas in the Andes. |
| People who have visited scene have been complaining of headaches, vomiting and nausea after inhaling gases. | People who have visited scene have been complaining of headaches, vomiting and nausea after inhaling gases. |
| A team of scientists is on its way to the site to collect samples and verify whether it was indeed a meteorite. | A team of scientists is on its way to the site to collect samples and verify whether it was indeed a meteorite. |
| 'Afraid' | 'Afraid' |
| "It [the object] is buried in the earth," local resident Heber Mamani told the BBC. | "It [the object] is buried in the earth," local resident Heber Mamani told the BBC. |
| "That is why we are asking for an analysis because we are worried for our people. They are afraid. A bull is dead and some other animals are already sick," he said. | "That is why we are asking for an analysis because we are worried for our people. They are afraid. A bull is dead and some other animals are already sick," he said. |
| The incident began on Saturday night, when people near Carancas in the Puno region, some 1,300km (800 miles) south of Lima, reported seeing a fireball in the sky coming towards them. | The incident began on Saturday night, when people near Carancas in the Puno region, some 1,300km (800 miles) south of Lima, reported seeing a fireball in the sky coming towards them. |
| The object then hit the ground, leaving a 30m (98ft) wide and 6m (20ft) deep crater. | The object then hit the ground, leaving a 30m (98ft) wide and 6m (20ft) deep crater. |
| The crater spewed what officials described as fetid, noxious gases. | The crater spewed what officials described as fetid, noxious gases. |
| An engineer from the Peruvian Nuclear Energy Institute told the AFP news agency no radiation had been detected from the crater and ruled out the fallen object being a satellite. | |
| Renan Ramirez said: "It is a conventional meteorite that, when it struck, produced gases by fusing with elements of the terrain." | |
| The gases are believed to have affected the health of about 600 people who visited the site. | The gases are believed to have affected the health of about 600 people who visited the site. |
| Most of the victims have been complaining of headaches, vomiting and nausea. | Most of the victims have been complaining of headaches, vomiting and nausea. |
| Honorio Campoblanco, one of Peru's leading geologists, called on the authorities to stop people going near the crash site. | Honorio Campoblanco, one of Peru's leading geologists, called on the authorities to stop people going near the crash site. |