Russian authorities have halted their search for the meteorite that spectacularly struck the Ural Mountains on Friday.

The incident left nearly 1,200 people injured and damaged several thousand buildings.

The 10-tonne space rock tore over central Russia in a blinding fireball as the world was braced for a close encounter with a large asteroid.

Russian divers spent yesterday scouring the lake in which it crash landed in minus 17 degree temperatures.

The emergency ministry has now decided to focus on repair works in the region instead.