A few days earlier, locals had another unexpected sight when blue-tinged snow covered the city's streets. While some people feared the unexplained hue might have been dangerous, there turned out to be a sweeter explanation. A local factory making colouring for Easter eggs experienced a spill, causing the powered dye to escape into the air and come to rest on the snow outside, the New York Times reported . Chelyabinsk is perhaps accustomed to unusual events by now. In 2013, it was made famous when a 570kg meteor was seen shooting across the sky above the city, injuring more than 900 people before landing in a nearby lake.