Sar-i-Pul hailstones kill thousands of sheep, goats

SAR-I-PUL (Pajhwok): ‘Thousands’ of sheep and goats have been killed after being pelted by hailstones as large as 10 centimeters at various meadows in Kohistanat district of northern Sar-i-Pul province, an official said Wednesday.

Tajuddin Malakzada, the Kohistanat district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News that people from different areas of Sar-i-Pul, Balkh, Jawzjan and Faryab provinces had moved their livestock to Kohistanat district that contained good pastures.

He said around 100,000 sheep and goats had been moved to that area for grazing. Thousands of goats and sheep were lost in the hailstorm, he said without giving exact figures. Besides that, the hailstorm had seriously damaged gardens, he said.

Haji Mohammadin, head of the local council in Charas area of the district, confirmed livestock had been lost and gardens damaged in the storm. He said 30 to 40 centimeters snow lashed the district on Tuesday night.

He said hailstones as large as 10 centimeters fell in some parts of the district.

The district chief and Mohammadin asked aid giving organizations to assist the affected people.

mds/ma