In September, we were hearing some vague rumors about a meteorite in Peru making villager sick. Initial reports from residents of a remote village, located in the high Andes department of Puno in the Desaguadero region, near the border with Bolivia, described a large explosion, which was first thought to be a plane crash. The mysterious meteorite left a 100-foot-wide (30-meter-wide) and 20-foot-deep (six-meter-deep) crater.
Locals began to complain of headaches and vomiting brought on by a "strange odor." The reports also stated that police who responded were also struck by the mysterious illness and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized. It was difficult to find more news about this event.
A couple of days later, a geologist from Peru's Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute has confirmed that a "rocky meteorite" did indeed fall in Peru. However, doctors were skeptical about the reported illness of a large number of residents. Many believed the symptoms may have been psychosomatic, caused by fear.
The next chapter in this saga came when meteorite collector and dealer, Michael Farmer, journeyed to Peru and reported on his adventures. (see Michael Farmer and the Meteorite of Peru.) After a dispute with local police over his purchase of meteorite samples, Farmer escaped back across the border to Bolivia in what Alan Boyle of the Cosmic Log likened to an Indiana Jones movie.
His take on the illness: he speculates that the odor of sulfur, coupled with fright, sickened the first patients, and a touch of mass hysteria led to the rest.
In comments to my Blog posts, a Mr. Randall Gregory disputes most of Michal Farmer's story. He claimed that "Mike Farmer lied about what happened in Carancas." Farmer responded by calling Gregory a "total nutjob." He stated that Randall Gregory "pretends to be a doctor, a lawyer and uses different names."
It appears this is a long running dispute between these two individuals with flame wars appearing on various websites dealing wit meteorites. I don't know the real story, and prefer to stay out of the fight. None of this helps provide answers about the Peruvian meteorite.
So, what really happened?
Nothing really mysterious and no conspiracies. The meteorite arrived in a heated state and came into contact with an underground water supply which was tainted with arsenic. Arsenic deposits are quite common in the area and often contaminate the drinking water. The hot meteorite and water combined to cause steam, which was the "mysterious gases" that had been reported. The arsenic explains the illness. Also, while we are clearing things up, it should be noted that only about 30 people became ill, not the over 200 previously reported.
As a finale to the story, local officials are hoping to create a tourist attraction from the crater.