Hailstorm leaves trail of destruction
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 11: The furious hailstorm that swept over different parts of the State yesterday evening left behind a trail of destruction to residential houses and standing crops in Thanga and Karang villages of Moirang.

According to reports, over 80 percent of the roof tops of the residential houses at Salam Leikai, Heisnam Leikai, Chingakham, Karang and Oinam Leikai have been either blown away or damaged beyond redemption in the fury of the storm which was accompanied by hailing around 8 pm yesterday.

It is said there were hail weighing around 2.50 gram.

One of the villagers recounted that the sound of the falling hails on the roofs of the houses felt like that of stones or iron balls.

Roofs and uprooted portions of residential set ups bear testimony to the damages wrought by the hailstorm at Thanga area

The size of the falling hails were so big that some of them were found to have not yet been melted this morning, the villager said while informing such ferocious hailstorm had never been experienced in the area.

Apart from having caused widespread destruction to residential houses and standing crops in the field, trees have also been uprooted by the storm at many places, though there is no report of any human casualty in the incident.

Fishing nets and other equipment have also been damaged in the hailstorm, the reports added.

To assess the extent of the damaged caused, local MLA T Mangibabu to visited to inspect the affected houses at Karang, Thanga Chingkha, Thanga Samukon, Heisnam, Thanga Chingkha Bazar and Thanga Salam.

Interacting with media-persons after the inspection, Mangibabu said every possible efforts would be made to extend necessary relief assistance to the affected villagers from the side of the Government.

The hailstorm had also caused havoc at Phoubakchao and Komlakhong villeges, etc under Mayang Imphal Assembly Constituency.

Over and above, many houses and properties, the hailstorm had also destroyed vegetables and other food crops being grown in the field, according to a statement issued by general secretary of Komlakhong Youth Development Association H Lakshman Singh.