Meteorite Strikes Nicaraguan Capital, Creates 16-Foot Deep Crater

Dina Spector

Sep 8, 2014, 10:56 IST

AP Photo/Nicaraguan Army

A photo provided by the Nicaraguan Army shows an impact crater made by a small meteorite in a wooded area near Managua's international airport and an air force base.

A loud boom heard Saturday night by residents of Nicaragua's capital Managua was caused by the impact of small meteorite, government officials confirmed on Sunday.

The piece of rock, possibly from an asteroid that passed close to Earth on Saturday, landed near a city airport and did not cause any injuries, the AFP reported.

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A small meteorite struck Nicaragua's capital of Managua on Saturday night.

However, it did create a 16-foot deep crater, the Associated Press said, citing volcanologist Humberto Saballos from the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies.

"I was sitting on my porch and I saw nothing, then all of a sudden I heard a large blast," Jorge Santamaria told The Associated Press. "We thought it was a bomb because we felt an expansive wave."

The Nicaraguan government has asked for help from international experts, including the U.S. Geological Service, to further analyze the event.