Illustration of a hailstorm. (Getty Images)
Laos has delivered emergency and humanitarian aid to the inhabitants of the Sikhottabong district in the capital Vientiane following a catastrophic hailstorm disaster on March 22. The hailstorm is reported to have severely impacted five villages.
On March 23, Lao Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Phoxay Sayasone and vice-president of the National Disaster Management Committee Phosay Sayasone conducted a visit to the area to check the condition of the victims and the affected areas. Among the five villages in the district, Viengkham and Chansavang suffered the most harm, as both recorded 1,000 households destroyed. The three others, Phonsomboun, Nongda and Tadthong, were also damaged but with slightly better impact.
It is reported that at least 2,000 homes were affected by the rare hailstorm. According to the video sources and images circulating online show hailstorm was in the form of a large chunk of ice, the size of a baseball or tennis ball. This has caused extensive damage to the houses and local infrastructure, because the chunks have destroyed roofs, broken glasses and injured residents. Fortunately, this incident has not caused any casualties or serious injuries.
To address the disaster, the Laotian Authorities responded to this disaster by distributing materials and supplies in order to rehabilitate and remedy the impacted areas. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare announced plans to repair and rebuild affected houses and public buildings through construction resources, supplies and tools.
While being regarded as a rare weather phenomenon in the Southeast Asia region, some countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia have seen hailstorms several times in the past few years. Some research underscores that the phenomenon occurs when there are seasonal transitions between the dry and rainy periods. This is caused by the atmospheric instability and seasonal transitions, which trigger the freezing of water vapour.
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