Hailstorm injures 35 in Raparin, knocks out power feeders

RAPARIN — A severe hailstorm struck the Raparin administration in Sulaymaniyah governorate Monday evening, injuring 35 people and causing widespread infrastructure damage including power outages, collapsed mosque minarets and extensive damage to vehicles and property.

Raparin health officials said Ranya Emergency Hospital recorded 35 cases of “injuries, fractures and physical trauma” within a few hours, attributed to “the intensity of hail and rain, difficult road and pedestrian conditions, and citizens fleeing from the storm.”

The Ministry of Electricity reported that 18 power feeders went down across the Raparin area, while two mosque minarets collapsed, trees were uprooted and shops and commercial kiosks sustained damage, with some structures collapsing entirely. Large hailstones were reported across several parts of the Kurdistan Region, causing extensive damage to vehicles and residential properties.