Meteorites for sale at US$8,000 per gram after fireball near China-Myanmar border sparks treasure hunt
Meteor showers village with rocks, causing scramble to claim fragments in the hope of selling them at inflated prices
About 200 meteorites have been recovered in southwestern China after a fireball event occurred last Friday, leading to a rush to find and sell the rare rocks, according to mainland media reports.
The fireball, or meteor, was seen about 9:40pm, when a ball of flame arched across the sky near Xishuangbanna, an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province, bordering Myanmar and Laos, local media Yunnan.cn reported.
Meteorites – fragments of the meteor – were later found in a village in Menghai county, in Xishuangbanna, prompting a treasure hunt by villagers, scientists and stargazers.
By Monday evening, about 200 meteorites had been found, with the larger fragments weighing hundreds of grams, according to a report by news site Thepaper.cn.
Videos shared online include dashboard cam footage of the meteor itself, and clips showing damaged buildings and meteorites.
