Imphal, March 28, 2010:: Hailstorm with heavy rains swept across the state last night injured two women and damaged houses, school buildings, mobile phone towers, electric posts apart from ready to harvest standing winter crops at several places across the state.

Two women sustained injury when a house near a foothill at Langthabal Khoubum in Imphal was collapsed by mudslide from the hill.

Other family members escaped unhurt, reports said.

Widespread slashed of heavy hailstorms reported from Tamenglong, Bishnupur districts and some parts of Imphal west on the western part of the state.

The same heavy hailstorms were also reported from Ukhrul and Imphal east districts on the northeastern part of the state.

In Imphal area, two women sustained injuries when two houses at Langthabal Khoupum village collapsed by the sliding mud from the hill nearby the house in the wee hour, at about 3.55 am.

The collapsed houses belong to Phajibung alias Manihar Gangmei and his younger brother Kanglenjao Gangmei.

In the incident, two women identified as Chaoba Gangmei wife of Manihar Gangmei and his mother Inakhunbi Gangmei (80) of the families sustained injuries.

Chaoba sustained injuries at left leg and right hand while Inakhunbi injured at the back and shoulder when they were hit by woods of the collapsing houses.

At Kadangban village in Imphal west also around six houses including kitchen and sangoi of individuals were swept away by the heavy storm with hails last night.

A tree at Kiyamgei in Imphal west also hacked by a thunder last night.

No one injured in the lightning occurred even though the roof of the house nearby damaged by the felling tree.

Three houses were blown away in Ningthoukhong village of Bishnupur district last night, a report from the district said adding that many standing crops like cabbage, pea, mustard and other also destroyed by the heavy wind with hails last night.

Roof of a half completed building of the Department of Research, Central Agricultural University (CAU) where latest laboratory equipments are stored also blown out by the strong wind.

The equipments were for the seeding testing section of the only university of its kind in the north eastern region.

In Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district, buildings of at least two schools were blown up by the heavy winds slashed over the sub-division.

The strong wind also brought heavy hail in Tamenglong district headquarters.

The hailstorm occurred around one hour passed midnight and lasted for about one hour, according to the residents of the district headquarters.

Reports of blowing out of roofs of several houses including school buildings in the open places, mobile towers and electric posts also reported from Ukhrul district but there were not official figure of lost of properties so far.

Comment