Meteorite death doubt

NEW DELHI: Indian scientists have poured scorn on the claim a man in the southern state of Tamil Nadu was the first person to have been confirmed killed by a meteorite strike, as the state’s top official has declared.

The experts said the small crater, the absence of a sonic boom before impact, a lack of debris and the colour of rock recovered suggest some other cause.

“It is highly improbable, but we will only be absolutely sure after a chemical analysis,” said V Adimurthy, a senior scientist at India’s space agency – Reuters