It’s been quite a while between posts, Fortean fans. I’m hoping in 2026 I can put more energy into sharing some of my Fortean interests.
As fans of this site will know, I’m fascinated by poltergeist phenomena and I try to keep an eye on global cases. ChatGPT and other AI services have made translations easier and more accurate, so access to international cases has never been easier.
Here is a summary of reports I collected across 2024 and 2025. I can’t vouch for any of them being genuine but some cases certainly sound worthy of a follow-up.
February 2024. Zimbabwe, Magwegwe North (Bulawayo).
Three young children – aged 8, 10, and 12 – and their elderly grandparents reported being at the mercy of mischievous, invisible entities they identified as “goblins.” The haunting involved physical manifestations such as doors closing on their own and direct physical assaults on the children by an unseen force. In one incident, the youngest child woke up screaming in the middle of the night after being stabbed in the leg with a knife while another child woke up with his head shaved. The grandparents attempted to escape the phenomenon by sending the children to stay with their grandmother in South Africa, but the disturbances allegedly followed them there, forcing their return. While the family was convinced of supernatural activity, skeptics and some commenters raised concerns that the “haunting” may have been a cover for real-world physical abuse.
Source: https://iharare.com/terrifying-goblins-haunt-bulawayo-family-leaving-children-beaten/
February 2024. Thailand, Soi Suwannahong, Huai Pong, Rayong Province.
A family of seven to eight people living in a single-story concrete house reported being terrorised by mysterious rocks that began flying into their home on February 18. The projectiles – ranging from stones and brick pieces to cement fragments – struck residents causing physical injuries and bruises. The stones appeared to enter through gaps in the roof, vents, and windows from multiple directions with impossible accuracy, often occurring in broad daylight. One reporter even witnessed a rock fly past his head during an on-site investigation. The family’s patriarch, 62-year-old Narong Nusalad, claimed to have seen a long-haired female ghost waving at him from under a tree prior to the onset of the phenomenon. Desperate for answers, the family resorted to covering their heads with cloth for protection and pleading for spiritual or scientific experts to prove whether the cause was supernatural or man-made.
Source: https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/east/2765507
April 2024. India, Tankara, Gujarat.
Residents of Tankara and local law enforcement were losing sleep due to a series of mysterious and persistent stone-pelting incidents. Despite the constant presence of police and local residents patrolling the area with sticks, stones continued to be thrown “out of nowhere”. The phenomena occurred even in the presence of Home Guards, and investigators were unable to identify any suspects or logical origins for the projectiles. While locals were increasingly suspicious that the acts may have been linked to some unknown individuals, the inability to catch anyone in the act left both the community and the police deeply unsettled.
Source: Gujarat First, April 2024.
June 2024. India, Village Araud (Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh).
For three months, the village of Araud experienced a mysterious phenomenon of intermittent stone rains falling suddenly from above at any time of the day or night. Both small and large stones fell throughout the village – particularly in the Malik Para locality – yet they notably landed near individuals rather than hitting them, resulting in no injuries or loss of life. The frequency of these incidents increased significantly during village meetings, and stones even rained on a police vehicle, but the source remained an absolute mystery as no persons were visible when the falling stones were investigated.
Source: https://www.haribhoomi.com/state-local/chhattishgarh/news/raining-stones-here-stones-falling-from-anywhere-any-time-30087
June 2024. Indonesia, Aging Village, Purwoharjo District, Banyuwangi.
Residents of Aging village were disturbed by a mysterious stone-throwing phenomenon that occurred almost every night. The projectiles, which consisted of stones and gravel, were typically thrown between the hours of 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, striking the roofs and walls of homes. Local residents initially suspected the involvement of a “Genderuwo” (a mythical Javanese spirit), but despite forming guard groups and keeping watch, they were unable to catch anyone in the act even as the throwing continued in their presence. While some believe the cause was supernatural, local police were investigating the matter under the suspicion that human perpetrators were using slingshots or catapults to throw the stones from a distance.
Source: Kompas.com. 12/02/2015
July 2024. India, Ottapalayam village, Kangayam Taluk, Tiruppur district.
Residents of Ottapalayam were living in constant fear for over 10 days due to “hails of stones” that spontaneously struck their homes once darkness set in. The falling stones caused extensive damage to numerous houses, particularly those with asbestos roofing. Despite the deployment of police personnel for night patrols and the use of digital surveillance—including drones and CCTV cameras—to monitor nearly 60 homes, the phenomenon continued without respite. Terrified families began taking nightly shelter at the nearby Karupparayan Temple. While local authorities suspected the “handiwork of miscreants” and urged villagers to shed their fears, many residents attributed the activity to paranormal origins as they remained unable to identify a physical source for the projectiles.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/residents-of-ottapalayam-in-tiruppur-dread-stones-falling-on-roofs-during-night-hours/article68385207.ece
July 2024. India, Bastauli village, Kotwali Mohammadi area, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.
A family reported that their house mysteriously ignited more than fifteen separate times within forty-eight hours. Fires reportedly broke out in curtains, bedding, wooden cupboards, grains, medicines and other stored household materials. Electricity to the home was disconnected but the incidents continued. All belongings inside were burned, causing the family to camp outside their home for two days. Local police and officials inspected the site and crowds gathered due to the ongoing unexplained fires.
Source: News18.Com. July 27, 2024.
September 2024. Swaziland, Eswatini, Msahweni (near Matsamo).
A family led by a mother named Jackie experienced a series of terrifying supernatural events centered around her 13-year-old son, Jama. The phenomena included stones flying through the air without a visible source, lights flickering on and off, and the mysterious overturning of pots containing cooked food. More sinister occurrences involved human waste being left on beds, the family home being turned into a general mess and an unseen force allegedly snatching Jama’s schoolbooks and throwing them into a river. Witnesses reported that Jama would enter trance-like states or exhibit “super strength”. Communication from the entity included a piece of paper being scribbled with the words “utakufa Jama” (Jama will die), and a voice identifying itself as “Japan” from a local area in northern Hhohho, which reportedly urged the boy to commit self-harm.
Source: Times of Swaziland (now Eswatini), 21/12/24.
October 2024. India, Muzaffarpur (Bihar).
Residents of Jaiprakash Nagar in the Ahiyapur police station area reported stones “raining” onto their house roofs every night for approximately one and a half months. The stones, which were described as the type used on railway lines, fell in large numbers as soon as night fell though no injuries were reported. Local women attributed the phenomenon to a “witch,” while other residents suspected the involvement of a criminal gang known as “Smakeeya”. The situation created an atmosphere of deep fear, causing women and children to remain indoors from evening onward. While the Ahiyapur police investigated and have been shown sacks of collected stones, the source and identity of the person or entity throwing them remained unconfirmed and a mystery.
Source: https://www.tv9hindi.com/state/bihar/stones-falling-on-people-house-roofs-for-one-and-a-half-months-in-muzaffarpur-stwk-2881300.html
October 2024. India, Sikandarpur (Raebareli).
Surya Bhan Singh and his family reported that fire broke out mysteriously between 30 and 40 times at various locations inside their home over a two-day period. These incidents began following Singh’s return from performing his mother’s shraddha rituals in Gujarat. The phenomena included curtains and clothing suddenly smoking and then bursting into flames, even when locked inside suitcases and cupboards. In addition to the fires, the family witnessed vehicle keys bending on their own and electronic items breaking spontaneously. Despite cutting the electricity connection to rule out electrical faults, the fires continued, forcing the family to live outdoors in fear. Local police, led by Kotwal Balendu Gautam, inspected the burnt goods and deployed a team at the house to investigate the cause of these events.
Source: https://www.amritvichar.com/article/495705/rae-bareli-family-panics-after-mysterious-fire-breaks-out-repeatedly#
February 2025. Zimbabwe, Budiriro (Harare).
A woman identified as Mai Munashe fled her rented apartment after reporting a “horror haunting” where mysterious stones constantly rained from the roof of the building. The victim claimed the stones specifically targeted her family and the family of the landlord, while a third tenant remained completely unaffected by the phenomenon. Fearing for her life, she abandoned the residence and dumped her household property at a city bus rank where her husband, Paul, works. Mai Munashe suspected the activity was a “ritual gone wrong” linked to her husband’s past association with their deceased landlord, though Paul refused to comment on the accusations.
Source: https://iharare.com/budiriro-woman-in-real-life-horror-haunting-as-mysterious-stones-rain-on-her-roof-at-night/
February 7, 2025. India, Kolpedabail near Madanthyar (Karnataka).
Umesh Shetty and his family were forced to abandon their home after experiencing a series of unexplained disturbances that primarily occurred after nightfall. Reported phenomena included clothes spontaneously catching fire, utensils falling without assistance, objects moving on their own, and the disappearance of sacred items and gold ornaments. Family members also reported inexplicable sensations of a presence moving through the house, and Shetty claimed that “prasadam” (sacred food) would mysteriously appear inside his scooter upon returning home. While the family managed to capture a blurry video of the activity, curious visitors and neighbours have not witnessed any unusual occurrences when present in large groups.
Source: https://www.udayavani.com/english-news/madanthyar-mysterious-incidents-force-family-to-abandon-home
February 2025. India, Masterpara (Dhanbad, Jharkhand).
Beginning on February 27, the residence of Anshuman Chaudhary experienced a series of spontaneous and mysterious fires that erupted daily at various locations throughout the house. These recurring outbreaks left the family, including Chaudhary’s retired parents, wife, and daughter, in a state of deep distress and panic, eventually forcing them to vacate the premises. Initial investigations by the fire department proved inconclusive. Subsequently, a three-member scientific team from the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) inspected the site but could find no logical or concrete cause for the phenomenon. While the experts explicitly ruled out gas leaks, they noted that the nature of these indoor fires fell outside their usual domain of coal-mine fire detection.
Source: https://www.aajtak.in/india/jharkhand/story/mysterious-fire-in-dhanbad-house-scientists-unable-to-find-reason-family-in-panic-lcla-strc-2181836-2025-03-05
March 2025. India, Jalodia village (Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh).
For approximately two months, the household of former Sarpanch Bhagwan Singh Kachhwa experienced a series of unexplained and startling phenomena. The incidents included small and large stones falling from the roof, which caused injuries to family members. Household items, such as water cans, utensils, and a tiffin full of food, had reportedly flown through the air and fallen far away on their own. Spontaneous fires had repeatedly broken out, destroying window curtains, door curtains, plastic wheat sacks, and nearly Rs 50,000 in cash. In one instance, a kurti worn by Kachhwa’s niece suddenly caught fire while she was standing in the courtyard. Despite conducting religious rituals such as Sunderkand and Havan, the family reported that the disturbances remained uncontrolled.
Source: https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/ratlam-omg-strange-incidents-of-stone-falling-and-fire-in-this-house-notes-burnt-along-with-clothes-tiffin-flew-from-bed-box-and-fell-8422791
September 2025. India, Ward No. 2, Pansal, Gram Panchayat Khairian (Dehra, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh).
For approximately one week, residents of Ward No. 2 in Pansal experienced a nightly “mysterious rain” of stones falling onto their roofs and courtyards. Many of these stones featured threatening handwritten messages, most notably one that read “End Game, Beware, Allahu Akbar”. The pelting specifically targeted four or five houses located near the home of a former MLA, where CRPF personnel were already deployed for protection. While the phenomena initially caused widespread terror and confusion throughout the area, a police investigation led by SP Mayank Chaudhary eventually revealed the incidents to be the result of mischief by local children.
Source: Hind News18 web site, September 27, 2025.
October 2025. Philippines, Sitio Riverside, Barangay Embarcadero (Mangaldan, Pangasinan).
Residents reported a series of unexplained stone-throwing incidents that disrupted the community’s sleep and caused property damage, including a broken window. The phenomena typically occurred between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, involving the sound of rocks hitting roofs without a visible culprit. In one instance, a 16-year-old boy was injured by a rock that ricocheted off a door. Despite local authorities identifying and interviewing a suspect on October 28, the incidents reportedly became more frequent thereafter.
Source: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/umg/967311/ilang-residente-sa-isang-barangay-sa-mangaldan-konsumido-na-dahil-sa-may-nambabato-sa-kanilang-bu/story
