01/03/2013 17:50
Russian meteor town in tourism bid
Officials in the Russian city where a meteor fell last month now hope to attract tourists to the area, the Telegraph reports.
The 10,000-ton meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere producing a sonic boom. It shattered into pieces between 18 and 32 miles above Chelyabinsk, to the east of the Ural Mountains in southern Russia.
Debris fell on the city, injuring around 1,000 people, damaging buildings and leaving a large hole in an ice-covered lake.
The spot could now feature in plans to capitalise on international fascination with the event and bring tourists to the city.
“Space sent us a gift and we need to make use of it,” Natalia Gritsay, a regional tourism official, told Bloomberg. “We need our own Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty.”