On Saturday a meteorite slammed into a field outside of Carancas, near Lake Titicaca in the Puno region of Peru on the border of Bolivia. It emitted a sweet but noxious odor. It has now been blamed for a mass illness of "nausea, vomiting, digestive problems and general sickness," according to a local health department official, Jorge López. "Boiling water started coming out of the crater and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby. Residents are very concerned," said López.

Police officers who went to investigate the meteorite are among those who have fallen ill and been taken to Desaguadero Hospital. The impact of the meteorite left a crater 18 feet deep and 30 yards across in the Andean territory that is home to less than 1,000 people. Originally, the villagers thought a plane had crashed. Under consideration is the declaration of a state of emergency, and experts from Peru's Geological Mining and Metallurgical Institute are reportedly traveling to the site to evaluate whether there is a health risk.

Villagers are said to be avoiding the local water out of fear of contamination. Sulfur and other elements common in meteorites can react with ground water to produce fumes.