BAGAN DATUK: At least 120 homes in Hutan Melintang and Rungkup, here were badly damaged by strong winds and a thunderstorm in the wake of Typhoon Lekima, here on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister, who also serves as Woman, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s political secretary, Dr Zaliha Mustafa said 80 homes in Hutan Melintang and 40 in Rungkup were partially destroyed as the roofs were blown off and the house structures collapsed.
She said losses were estimated at RM173,300 in total.
“We were informed that a woman in her 40s was injured and a house from the 120 damaged was completely destroyed, a worst-case scenario.
“The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is distributing disaster kits to the victims and we will see the condition of the houses for other possible assistance,” she told reporters after visiting the affected houses here, today.
Zaliha said, together with the district Disaster Management Committee they were constantly monitoring and looking after the victims by sending various aid including building materials such as bricks and roofs needed to repair the houses.
Meanwhile, a victim from Bagan Sungai Belukang in Selekoh, Ruhaida A. Ghani, 43, said that during the incident she was sleeping in her room and was awakened suddenly when the roof of her house shook violently.
The mother of five said she and her husband, Mohamad Sufian Yusuf @ Tajuni, 43, panicked after seeing the roof being blown off by strong winds in the heavy downpour.
“It continued raining heavily and we were unable to save anything. In a state of fear we got into the car and drove off to my mother’s house, about 300 metres away from our house,” she said.
Ruhaida, who has lived in the house for the past 13 years, said the incident was the first of its kind and it was terrible for her family, especially ahead of Aidiladha.
“This is our worst experience. We could not celebrate, instead had to figure out how to find the money to repair the house which is likely to cost up to RM10,000,” she said. — Bernama
