(meteorobs) meteorite fall or space garbage?

[Thomas Ashcraft]

David Entwistle wrote:
> BBC World Service have a report suggesting that initial investigations 
> favour a meteorite as the cause.
>
> http://abi.bo/index.php?i=noticias_texto&j=20070917192103
>

Here is a Babelfish slightly rough translation of the above article:

Geologists and physicists of Arequipa will travel to zone where he hit 
supposed meteorite - About seven police were affected after gathering 
samples of the zone where east object fell. Arequipa (Peru), 17 sep 
(ABI). - Geologists and arequipeños physicists of the National 
University of San Agustín (UNSA) will travel this Tuesday to the 
community of Carancas, in the province of Chucuito (Puno), in order to 
make an area reconnaissance in where the last Saturday fell a supposed 
meteorite and that caused a slight seismic movement of magnitude 
nondetermined. Arming Minaya, director of the Geophysical Institute of 
the UNSA, mentioned by the Andean Agency of Peru, needed that the 
retinue will be integrated by three or four specialists and will 
determine, with greater exactitude, the diameter of the orifice 
originated by the object. In declarations to the Andean agency, he 
mentioned that the impact of the supposed meteorite caused in Carancas a 
seismic movement of an intensity of level II in the scale of Modified 
Mercalli. However, the magnitude of remezón (that is moderate in the 
scale of Richter) was not registered by the which had IG-UNSA, probably, 
to the distance between this place, located in the district of Drainage, 
border with Bolivia, and the observatory of the institution located in 
the district of Characato, province of Arequipa, referred. After the 
fall of the not identified luminous object, the inhabitants of Carancas, 
in where they live more than thousand settlers, began to suffer 
headaches, nauseas, vomits and diarreas, today indicated Limachi Frame, 
Secretary General of the Municipality Distrital de Desaguadero. 
According to the civil employee, the affections would have been 
generated by the emanated fétido scent of the forado one left by the 
supposed meteorite. It added that "the animals are not eating and some 
people present/display certain tartamudez, apparently, by the caused 
scare and preoccupation after the impact". On the other hand, about 
seven police were affected after gathering samples of the zone where the 
supposed meteorite fell, the regional director informed into Health, 
Jorge Tiled Lopez. It explained that the cash presented/displayed 
nauseas, vomits and mareos, reason why were sent to the Hospital of 
Drainage and soon to the Hospital of Health of the Police in Puno. "In 
Drainage one offered to oxygen and rehidratación them. When they were 
compensated happened to the other hospital ", it referred in RPP the 
News. Also it indicated that the zone where fell the object emanates a 
strong scent, that is not own of the place, which is causing a psychosis 
between the settlers. "Our equipment of cleaning already arrived at the 
zone and refers that there is full forado of water, the scent is strong, 
(and it is) affecting neighboring communities. There are 500 families 
close and symptoms of nauseas, vomits, migraine and corporal malaise ", 
it commented. She maintained that one has recommended to the police 
authorities and the regional government who forms a wall to avoid that 
people approach the place. It reiterated that this Tuesday will divide a 
brigade of doctors of Puno and Juli to make the studies corresponding to 
the villagers. Tiled Lopez invoked to the authorities in Lima to send a 
special brigade with suitable equipment to gather of more efficient form 
the samples of the supposed meteorite, since the one of its office lacks 
such. It needed that, according to the comuneros, the object fell the 
noon of Saturday and the forado one that left it has a considered depth 
of five meters and 15 meters of diameter. The incident was considered by 
the settlers like bad augury. ABI//