12 Families Face Bleak Ramadan After Storm

---

Close shave: Ku Izmir (left) and his family salvaging what’s left after the roof got torn off at their house in Kuala Muda, Sungai Petani
SUNGAI PETANI: He was in his room after work when his sister screamed, telling him to get out of the house
“The next thing I knew, the roof was rattling violently before it was ripped apart and blown off, ” said odd-job worker Ku Ahmad Dani Ku Adham, 23
“I shouted to my sister to get her children and run to our relative’s house next door, ” he said
They were among 12 families in Kuala Muda here whose houses were damaged in a freak storm on Thursday
Most of the houses had their roofs blown off by strong winds while others were damaged by uprooted trees
Ku Ahmad said it would be a bleak Ramadan for him and his family this year as they had literally “lost the roof over their heads” in Kampung Sungai Reba
His brother Ku Izmir, 38, said he rushed back from his workplace in Butterworth upon hearing about the storm
“I was worried about my wife, my children and my brother.”He went home after getting approval from his factory supervisor
“The repair could easily cost thousands of ringgit, but I am glad none of my family members were hurt, ” said Ku Izmir, who has taken a few days off to attend to the repair works
At Kampung Permatang Pasir, Azhar Sharif, 36, managed to get away in time when an uprooted tree damaged the back portion of his house
“It was a close shave. The tree missed me by a few metres.”His father-in-law Yaakob Md Lazid, 63, said it was unfortunate that their Ramadan was greeted with uprooted trees and a freak storm
“Luckily, there were no injuries or further damage to the house, ” he said, adding that this was the third time that strong wind hit the village and caused damage to several houses
Pantai Merdeka constituency coordinator Rosli Yusof said each affected family would be given a quick relief aid of RM300
He said besides the violent wind, several villages were also hit by flash floods
The state government, through the district office, would help with the roof repairs, he added
“We are listing down the materials needed by the affected families. We will ensure nobody is left out in our assistance, ” he said. - Star

---