A massive piece of space junk debris weighing 500kg has crashed into a Kenyan village, prompting an immediate investigation by the country's space agency.
The burning metal ring plunged into Mukuku village in Makueni county, where it was quickly cordoned off by authorities.
Kenya Space Agency officials have identified the object as likely being a separation ring from a launch rocket, though its precise origin remains under investigation.
No injuries were reported from the incident, which left local villagers baffled as they watched the scorching metallic object being retrieved by space agency personnel.
The burning metal ring plunged into Mukuku village in Makueni county, where it was quickly cordoned off by authorities
Reuters
Major Aloyce Were of the Kenya Space Agency rushed to the scene, assuring locals they "should not be scared" of the metallic object.
He told local media: "It is a part of a space object which is in the form of a ring, a metallic ring, possibly from a rocket separation stage."
The official explained that authorities would assess the impact on the area and work to identify the object's origin.
One villager praised the space agency's "very quick response", noting that officials "have showed us as a community that there is no cause of alarm, we are safe".
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Kenya Space Agency officials have identified the object as likely being a separation ring from a launch rocket, though its precise origin remains under investigation
Reuters
The debris is now in the custody of the Kenya Space Agency as investigations continue.
The metallic ring measures 2.5metres in diameter and weighs approximately 500kg, according to the Kenya Space Agency.
The agency's preliminary assessment confirmed the object to be a separation ring from a launch vehicle.
The red-hot object fell from the sky around 3pm on December 30, with villagers describing it as "red and hot" upon impact.
Major Aloyce Were of the Kenya Space Agency rushed to the scene, assuring locals they "should not be scared" of the metallic object
Reuters
Whilst some experts have questioned the object's origins, including astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell who suggested it might be from an aeroplane, the space agency maintains its initial assessment.
The agency has warned the public against believing unverified social media claims about the debris's source.
They noted that such objects are typically designed to burn up during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere or fall over uninhabited areas like oceans.
"This is an isolated case, which the Agency will investigate and address," the space agency said in a statement.
