IPOH: A retiree revealed that the storm that damaged his house was nothing like he had ever seen or heard before in his life, so much so he prayed as he described the frightening experience like 'horses running on the roof'.
"I read the Azan out loud (Muslim call to prayer) three times, as it felt like as though there were horses running on the roof," said 65-year Ismail Daud when speaking about the storm that blew off part of the roof of his house in Klebang Jaya here today (November 8).
According to the retired soldier, during the 4.15pm incident, he was asleep in the living room while his wife and two children were resting.
"I woke up when the ceiling suddenly collapsed. At the same time, the roof from the kitchen to the living room were blown off one by one," he said when met at his house tonight.
He said the rain and strong winds, which lasted nearly 20 minutes, also blew off the roofs of neighbouring houses and damaged poles and electrical wires in the area.
This struck fear in him and it led to him reciting the Azan loudly three times.
"As soon as I recited it the third time, the storm ended. I am thankful none of my family members or anyone else was injured," he said.
Ismail, who has lived in Taman Klebang Jaya for 22 years, said that storms had occurred twice before, but today's one was by far the worst.
Another victim, D. Thanivel, 66, said that when the incident occurred, he and his family were not at home as they were visiting a sick relative at a hospital in Ipoh.
"A neighbour told me that the roof of my house was blown off, water had entered the house and I immediately rushed home.
"When I got home, I saw that the roof at the living room and two of the three rooms had been blown off and the ceiling had collapsed as well," said Thanivel, who lives there with his wife and son.
Meanwhile, the Perak Civil Defence Force (APM) said in a statement that 47 houses in Taman Klebang Jaya were affected by the storm following heavy rain that lasted over two hours. – Bernama