The Perseid meteor shower is still active this week, dazzling the night sky. Earth is remarkably hit by 44,000 kilograms of meteoritic material every day. Most of it is burned up in the upper atmosphere, but some material does reach the ground. But the meteorite hitting the earth is very rare to be captured in a camera.The first recorded footage of a Meteorite hitting the ground was shared by Joe Velaidum, a resident of Prince Edward Island, Canada, in January 2025. He was standing right in front of the door, just as he left to walk to his dog, the meteorite struck the ground at approximately 60,000 kilometres per hour.

He was likely to be the second recorded case of Meteorite death. However, the chances of being hit by a meteor are very low. According to a study, it is more likely to be attacked by an elephant or a coyote than to be hit by a meteor. "Although everyone's individual situation and risk are different, on average, it's slightly more likely that a &gt;140-meter asteroid or comet hits the Earth than an individual is struck by lightning," lead author Professor Carrie Nugent from Olin College told IFLScience.&nbsp;"An impact is less likely than experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning. Although an asteroid impact is pretty unlikely to occur in any given year, the probability is not zero and might be higher than some people expect. But, just like carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, so is an asteroid impact - if we have enough time to prepare."<h2>The only ever death by a meteor shower</h2>The only person confirmed to have died from a meteorite hitting was in 1888 in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to the three letters written by Ottoman officials and forwarded to the Ottoman ruler in Constantinople, a man was killed with a meteorite strike, and another was paralysed. It also destroyed a huge crop area. What makes the case extraordinary is its detailed documentation. Historians have unearthed these recent years, making it the only documented case of meteorite-caused human fatality.There are other relatable incidents like that of 1954 in Alabama, Ann Hodge became the only confirmed person to survive a meteorite strike. The grapefruit-sized rock crashed through her ceiling and left a large bruise. Another 2016 incident reportedly killed a man at a college, but it was later confirmed to be a ground-based explosion.&nbsp;So while one gazes up at the Perseid stragglers, it is to be remembered that even though these are considered awe-inspiring, they can turn lethal on rarest of occasions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

On August 16, as the Perseid meteor shower dazzles the skies, we revisit the 1888 Sulaymaniyah tragedy, the world’s only confirmed death by a falling meteorite.

The Perseid meteor shower is still active this week, dazzling the night sky. Earth is remarkably hit by 44,000 kilograms of meteoritic material every day. Most of it is burned up in the upper atmosphere, but some material does reach the ground. But the meteorite hitting the earth is very rare to be captured in a camera. The first recorded footage of a Meteorite hitting the ground was shared by Joe Velaidum, a resident of Prince Edward Island, Canada, in January 2025. He was standing right in front of the door, just as he left to walk to his dog, the meteorite struck the ground at approximately 60,000 kilometres per hour.

On August 16, as the Perseid meteor shower dazzles the skies, we revisit the 1888 Sulaymaniyah tragedy, the world’s only confirmed death by a falling meteorite.

What are the chances of getting hit by meteorite? the only confirmed death by a meteor shower

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What are the chances of getting hit by meteorite? the only confirmed death by a meteor shower