Kenyan officials are investigating fragments of metal believed to be from a rocket that crashed into Mukuku village in southern Kenya on December 30.

The object, a metallic ring about 8 feet in diameter and weighing 1,100 pounds, was retrieved by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) for further analysis.

Preliminary assessments suggest it is a separation ring from a launch vehicle, which is typically designed to burn up or fall in uninhabited areas.

The KSA stated there was no threat to public safety and praised villagers for quickly alerting authorities, CBS News has reported.

The agency is working to determine the origin of the debris.

Written by B.C. Begley