Fragments of the meteor fell in a thinly populated area of the Chelyabinsk region, the Russian Emergency Ministry said in a statement.

FORBES: Meteorites Are The Universe's Way Of Telling Us We Need More Than One Planet To Live On

The area is thinly populated and no evacuations have been ordered, the Coast Guard spokesman said.

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"We are expecting low casualty numbers and minimal damages because the area is thinly populated, " Fars quoted Mohamad Sarvar, the deputy national relief coordinator, as saying.

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"We are expecting low casualty numbers and minimal damages because the area is thinly populated, " Fars News Agency quoted Mohamad Sarvar, the deputy national relief coordinator, as saying.

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The area is thinly populated, yes.

FORBES: Meteorites Are The Universe's Way Of Telling Us We Need More Than One Planet To Live On