LAKKI MARWAT, March 26: A young man was killed and crops were badly damaged when heavy rain and hailstorm hit the suburban villages of the district on Tuesday.

Various crops, including wheat, was damaged by the rain and hailstorm in dozens of villages, including Zangi Khel, Mela Mandra Khel, Khara Wanda, Katta Khel, Darra Pezu and Badnu Khel, and some small hamlets adjacent to the Sheikh Badin mountain.

A 22-year-old shepherd, Mohammad Khan, son of Feroz Khan, was struck and killed by lightning and thunderclap while he was grazing his cattle in the fields of the Badni Khel village.

The local authorities and farmers have urged the NWFP governor to declare the villages as affected areas and exempt them from agricultural taxes.