Hunt on for Argentine meteorite

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The space rock reportedly crashed late Sunday somewhere in Entre Rios Province, some 260 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, reports the daily Clarin, which quoted a witness, Milton Blumhagen, a student and astronomy buff: ‘For three or four seconds I saw an object in flames, changing color until it turned blue when it approached the ground.’’ A fire department source said the impact was felt for miles around. No damage was reported.

The curious are headed out to the isolated rural zone where the meteorite, or whatever it was, is believed to have struck.

Last year, as this L.A. Times news story recounts, a meteorite strike near Lake Titicaca caused a regional sensation: Area residents said they became sick, and meteor hunters rushed to the site to purchase chunks of space debris, which can fetch high prices on the international market. Scientists dismissed any links between the meteorite and the reported illnesses.

-- Patrick J. McDonnell and Andres D’Alessandro in Buenos Aires.