Strong whirlwind rips off roofs of two houses in Malaysia

MALACCA - A leisurely afternoon turned into a nightmare for a family of six when a strong whirlwind ripped off the roof of their homes in Jalan Bukit Minyak 2, Kampung Krubong, here on Saturday afternoon.

In the 2pm incident, the wind, which came together with a downpour, blew away the roofs of two single-storey wooden houses, located side by side, in an oil palm plantation. Mazna Mohamad, 67, said she was resting at the veranda of her home but went inside when it started drizzling.

"I was standing at the door when I heard a thunderous noise and then the wind blew in like a white cloudy figure. I was so frightened that I shut the door and rushed inside to hug my 5-year-old grandson, Muhammad Adam Kamarulzaman.

"Within seconds, the zinc roof and the wooden frame were blown away. The rain came in and flooded the house."

The grandmother immediately alerted her son, Kamarulzaman Othman, 37, and daughter-in-law, Kamariah Ahmad, 38, who were sleeping together with their two children aged 13 and 18 months, at the bedroom.

"We did not have time to save our other belongings, like the television, radio and fridge," said Mazna, who has been renting the house for four years.

Also affected was Mazna's neighbour, Aziz Md Nor, 51, who was not at home at the time of the incident. Aziz, a lorry driver, lives alone and had sought temporary shelter at his sister's house in Krubong Permai.