ALOR STAR, Nov 2 — At least 13 houses in Taman Wira Mergong here were damaged by a landspout which struck at about 1.15pm.
It is the second landspout to hit the Kota Setar district. The first was two days ago, and it left a trail of destruction in five areas in the district.
Taman Wira Mergong Block E chief, Ahmad Ishak, 60, said it was the third landspout incident to hit the area in two years.
“The first time it happened, the weather was the same. The weather was fine, and then there was a gust of wind. It happened so fast; luckily, there were no casualties.
“Today, a similar incident happened and caused serious damage to three houses and damaged the roof of others,” he told reporters here today.
He said various quarters, including the Social Welfare Department, had arrived to extend the necessary assistance to the victims.
A witness, Adam Abdullah, 30, said he was outside his house when he heard a loud gust of wind and saw a landspout coming from the opposite direction.
“Seeing it rip off the roof of my neighbour’s house, I quickly ran inside and got my wife and our one-year-old child to hide under the table,” he added.
Jamilah Mard, 20, a banking student at Insaniah University College, said she was at home with four friends and they were in the living room studying.
“Suddenly, there was a strong wind, and then the roof of the kitchen was blown away,” she added.
Last Friday, 71 houses and a rural clinic were destroyed when a landspout hit the Kampung Mergong Hilir, Kampung Batin, Kampung Sungai Baru, Taman Inang and Taman Mergong Jaya at about 5pm. — Bernama
