LOEI — 19 April 2026, Residents in Phu Kradueng district narrowly escaped death after a violent hailstorm tore through homes, punching hundreds of holes in roofs and forcing a bedridden woman and her husband to repeatedly move for safety.
The storm struck at about 15:30 on Saturday in Moo 3, Ban Saphan Yao, Huai Som subdistrict, where 4 to 5 houses were hit directly by large hailstones during a fast-moving summer storm.
Sophon Chinsopha, the village headman and homeowner who recorded the incident, said he and his bedridden wife were inside when the hail began smashing through their roof “like a barrage of bullets”.
“We had to carry my wife to safer spots several times to avoid being hit,” he said. “The hail pounded the house for nearly an hour.”
Authorities said the storm was localised to a single area of Phu Kradueng district but brought intense thunderstorms, strong winds and unusually large hailstones, some the size of eggs or fists.
The impact left zinc roofs riddled with holes resembling scenes from a war film. Power poles were toppled and agricultural areas sustained damage.
Local officials from Huai Som Subdistrict Administrative Organisation and the district office are now working urgently to provide assistance and repairs.
