MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – Twenty-five of the people hospitalized as a result of the meteorite that hit Russia last week have now been discharged, the local emergencies ministry confirmed on Friday.
“As of 07:00 hours on February 22, 2013, 25 people, including 11 children, were discharged from treatment centers,” the local emergencies ministry statement reads.
Windows were shattered and walls damaged by shockwaves in thousands of buildings, mostly residential, as the meteorite streaked through the sky over the Chelyabinsk Region on February 15. Over 1,500 people were injured, mostly by flying glass. Local officials say over 60 people were hospitalized.
The total bill for the damage is estimated at 1 billion rubles ($33 million). On Monday, Chelyabinsk Region asked Russia’s Federal Government for $16.6 million worth of aid to help repair damage caused by the meteorite.
To date, local emergencies ministry officials say that repairs have been carried out to over 4,000 buildings that had their windows blown out by the blast. Since this is a region of Russia in which temperatures are below freezing throughout winter, currently hovering around 10 degrees Fahrenheit, these repairs – especially to schools and homes – are vital.