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Meteor ImpactPress statement by Niels Bohr Institute, Geophysical Dept
971215 20.00UT
A big meteor impact has probably occurred in Southern Greenland at 61 25N, 44 26W on Tuesday, December 9th app. 08.11UTC (05.11am local time). The position is on the ice cap app. 50 kilometers NE of Narsarsuaq Airport. ... The flashes observed in conjunction with the meteorite were so bright as to turn night into daylight at a distance of 100 kilometers and can be compared to the light af a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere. However, we stress that there is no reason to belive other than natural causes. ... The event can in size probably be compared to the Kap York meteorite, that in prehistoric time fell in Melville Bay, Sassivik south of Thule. Findings from the meteorite consist of a number of iron meteorites totalling 50 tons. One of these iron fragments can be seen in Copenhagen outside the Geological Museum.
Meteorite suspected in fatal Colombian house fire
Reuters, 10:06 AM ET 12/16/97
A meteorite may have triggered a fire that killed four small children in central Colombia, local media reports said Tuesday. ... Bogota's El Espectador newspaper quoted witnesses, including the children's father and local firefighters, as saying ''fireballs'' had been spotted raining down from the sky in the impoverished area of Huila province where the children died in the house fire on Sunday evening. ... But he said a hole, measuring about 10 inches in diameter, was discovered in the zinc roof of the house, along with traces of a sulphur-like substance that was being studied in a local laboratory. The hole in the roof had been punched from the outside, Rojas said, adding that everything seemed to indicate the children were the unwitting victims of a meteorite.
