Cape Town and surrounds abuzz as big ‘meteorite’ lights up the sky, then ‘explodes’

One paramedic said it was like nothing he'd ever seen or heard in his life.


Cape Town and its far surrounds were buzzing with the reported startling sight of a massive streak of light that flashed across the evening sky on Wednesday at between 8.10pm and 8.30pm, depending on who you ask.

It was apparently then followed by the sound of an explosion, which some said sounded like a gas bottle exploding.

https://twitter.com/Thats_Loveleigh/status/1085624452673691656

People from all over the Cape, from Hermanus to Franschhoek, Cape Town and all the way to the Swartland, have been talking about the “massive flash of flight” that appeared suddenly in the twilight sky.

One person caught evidence of it reflected in his pool on CCTV.

https://twitter.com/dave_apter/status/1085612653408604162

https://twitter.com/CarlaKatjie/status/1085609718972928000

Many people speculated that it must have been a far bigger than usual meteorite breaking up and burning to particles in the earth’s atmosphere.

It’s not known whether any part of the object made it intact to the earth’s surface, which would be an exceedingly rare event.

Fortunately everyone in the fairest Cape seems to have survived the cosmic scare.

https://twitter.com/PaiviBrink/status/1085614164368936960

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