Severe hailstorm lashes 36 villages in Tangail: Houses, crops damaged
Big chunks of hails, some weighing 3-4 kg, during yesterday's storm damage roofs of scores of houses in Sakhipur and Ghatail upazilas of Tangail yesterday. Photos show a perforated tin roofs (top) and uprooted and damaged trees in Sakhipur.Photo: STAR
At least 20 people were injured while around 400 houses and crops including irri-boro paddy on vast tract of lands were damaged as a severe hailstorm lashed 36 villages in Sakhipur and Ghatail upazilas early yesterday. In Sakhipur, at least 15 people were hurt and around 300 houses and crops of 28 villages in four unions damaged during the storm that started at around 2:45am, locals said. The worst affected areas in the upazila are Mohanandapur, Jiteswari, Toildhara, Gorbari, Surirchala, Bagherbari, Indrajani, Kaxmirampur, Bailarpur villages under Kakrajan union; Kalomegha, Talepabad, Atia Salonga, Rangamatia, Fuljhuri, Nagerchala, Beltoli villages under Kalomegha union; Gazaria, Kirtankhola, Kalianpara, Protima Bonki Purbo Para, Chhoto Pastharpur under Gazaria union; Kachua, Basharchala, Sarashia, Kadernagar under Kalia union and Kaharta and Ramkharpara under Sakhipur municipality. Big chunks of hails, some weighing around 3-4kg, during the storm and rain left scores of houses damaged. Moreover, hundreds of trees and many electric poles were also damaged or uprooted during the hailstorm, said Sakhipur upazila parishad (UP) chairman Shawkat Sikder who visited the affected villages. A number of poultry farms and a many banana orchards were also badly damaged in the storm, he added. Upazila Agriculture Officer Azharul Islam Siddique told this correspondent that irri-boro paddy on around 4000 hectares of land, vegetables on 500 hectares, mango orchards on 100 hectares, jackfruit orchard on 100 hectares, jute on 50 hectares and chilli on 30 hectares were partially damaged by the hailstorm. The losses were primarily estimated at around Tk 25 crore, he added. Schoolteacher Shamsul Haque, 50, of Mahanandapur village in the upazila said he never witnessed such devastating hailstorm in his life. In Ghatail upazila, the hailstorm blew away around 100 houses and damaged crops including irri-boro paddy in eight villages of Dhalapara union during the same time. The hails also hurt at least five people in the area during the storm, locals said.
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