A meteor that exploded over Russia’s Ural mountains and sent fireballs blazing to earth has set off a rush to find fragments of the space rock which hunters hope could fetch thousands of dollars a piece.

Friday’s blast and ensuing shockwave shattered windows, injured almost 1,200 people and caused about $33 million (Rs 180 crore) worth of damage, said local authorities. It also started a ‘meteorite rush’ around the industrial city of Chelyabinsk, east of Moscow, where groups of people have started combing through the snow and ice.