A meteorite that streaked and burst above the Urals mountain region in Central Russia left 400 people injured on Friday.

According to various media reports the meteorite burst at around 9:20 a.m. local time with intense light which left a thick white contrail.

The trail of a falling object is seen above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, in this still image taken from video shot on February 15, 2013.
The trail of a falling object is seen above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, in this still image taken from video shot on February 15, 2013.Reuters

Eyewitness told local media that there was a thunder-like sound that shook the ground and was accompanied by flashes which could be seen above the sky from hundreds of kilometres away.

"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains told Reuters. "I felt like I was blinded by headlights," he added.

Another eyewitness, Andrei, told Reuters, "I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend, Then there was a flash and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shockwave that smashed windows."

Broken windows and debris are seen inside a sports hall following sightings of a falling object in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.
Broken windows and debris are seen inside a sports hall following sightings of a falling object in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.Reuters

According to reports, three people were admitted to hospital in critical condition, while several suffered minor injuries which were caused mainly due to broken glass.

Following the explosion, many window glasses were shattered and many car alarms were set off. Reuters reported that mobile phones worked only intermittently.

A man identifying himself as Viktor poses for a photograph after receiving treatment for injuries sustained from a shock wave that followed after a falling object was sighted in the sky in the Urals region, at an emergency room in a hospital in Chelyabins
A man identifying himself as Viktor poses for a photograph after receiving treatment for injuries sustained from a shock wave that followed after a falling object was sighted in the sky in the Urals region, at an emergency room in a hospital in Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.Reuters

A spokesperson from Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant said that the one of its wall was damaged but there was no environmental threat.

Russia's state-run atomic agency, Rosatom, said there was no damage to the nuclear facilities in the region and all operations continued as usual. Mayak nuclear plant, one of the largest nuclear facilities of Rosatom, is located in the meteorite affected area.

The report of the meteorite crash in Russia comes at a time when the world is anticipating the newly discovered 2012 DA14 to pass by the Earth on Friday.

People look at damage to a shop following sightings of falling objects in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.(Reuters)
People look at damage to a shop following sightings of falling objects in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.(Reuters)Reuters
A man removes shards of glass from the frame of a broken window following sightings of a falling object in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013.
A man removes shards of glass from the frame of a broken window following sightings of a falling object in the sky in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk February 15, 2013. (Reuters)Reuters