Guwahati: Over 500 homes were destroyed across villages in the Dibrugarh district in Assam by the hailstorm, according to officials on Tuesday.
Assam and other northeastern states are likely to experience scattered thunderstorms and lightning with hail over the next 24 hours, according to a warning from the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati.
According to a senior official of the Dibrugarh district administration who was reported by PTI, the damage assessment is still ongoing and there have been no reports of casualties.
The hailstorm lashed Moran, Tingkhang, Lahowal, Lekai, Naharkatia and other areas on Monday late night and Tuesday early morning, the official said.
“It has led to widespread damage in the district. As per preliminary assessment in Moran sub-division, 310 houses have been damaged in 37 villages,” he said.
In Tingkhang, 202 structures across 21 villages and five houses in two villages of Lekai have also been badly damaged, the official said as reported by PTI.
“One government lower primary school under Dibrugarh East revenue circle was affected. Nagachapari LP School in the Lahowal area was badly damaged,” he added.
In the neighbouring Tinsukia district, a hailstorm lashed the Khetojan Tea Estate on Tuesday morning but no report of damage has been received, another official said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that several houses in the Moran and Tingkhong revenue circles have reportedly suffered damage as a result of a heavy hailstorm.
“Have instructed officials to make a detailed assessment of the damages caused. Government is extending all possible help to all those affected by it,” he said on Twitter.
The RMC has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for the entire Northeastern region and said thunderstorms and lightning with hail are very likely to occur at isolated places over the seven states.