Hailstorm damages houses, crops in northeast India
By IANSTuesday, March 30, 2010
AGARTALA/AIZAWL - Hundreds of houses were destroyed, a large number of trees, electric and telephone posts uprooted and crops heavily damaged in pre-monsoon rains accompanied by strong wind and hailstorm in Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur, official sources said here Tuesday.
Officials in the state capitals said the seasonal cyclonic rainstorm accompanied by heavy lightning, which lashed the state Sunday and Monday night, also killed one person and injured many. Many cattle were also killed.
“The Nor’wester (cyclonic rainstorm) would continue till the onset of monsoon. The seasonal Nor’wester is now active in entire eastern and northeast India and few other places in the country,” meteorological department director Dilip Saha told IANS.
A 21-year old youth was killed and seven others injured when struck by lightning at Amarpur in south Tripura late Monday night. The injured were shifted to hospital.
“Lightning and thunder, accompanied by high velocity winds, lashed entire Tripura during the past two days, damaging standing crops and uprooting electric poles, telephone lines and big trees besides destroying over 300 houses,” an official of the state relief department said.
In Mizoram, over 600 houses were destroyed and at least 20 people injured in the cyclonic rainstorm across mountainous Aizawl, Kolasib, Serchhip and Lunglei districts.
“The worst-hit area was the northeastern part of the state under Aizawl district adjoining Manipur, where at least 400 houses were completely damaged,” Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said in the state assembly.
“The deputy commissioners were asked to visit affected areas with relief materials,” he added.
The cyclonic storm ripped through Manipur, damaging at least 400 houses and injuring 15 people, mostly women and children.
An official said Ukhrul and Imphal West districts were the worst hit.
There were also reports of damage to vegetables, a variety of horticultural crops, food grains and trees in many parts of the three northeastern states.
