Victims from 45 houses around Taman Panchor and Kampung Parit Imam here which were ravaged in a 6pm storm yesterday, will be placed in transit homes soon.

Parit Raja state assemblyman, Nor Rashidah Ramli said the victims would be provided with transit houses around this district, to ensure that they are housed in safer and more comfortable temporary accommodations.

She said that for the time being, some of the victims have taken refuge at the homes of relatives and close friends while their houses are being repaired.

“The damage includes the roofs and some houses have been rendered uninhabitable. For low-cost two-storey houses, the upper floors were damaged while the ground floors are still habitable.

“However, their safety is a priority and we hope to find transit houses as temporary accommodation for the victims,” she told Bernama after visiting the homes of the storm-hit victims here today.

Discussions will be held with various agencies including the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and the Baitulmal division of Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) to get the transit houses ready as soon as possible, she added.

Meanwhile, a victim Ithnin Attan, 64, said during the incident, he and his wife Zabariah Sahat, 57, were looking after their neighbour’s children before they heard a rumble coming from the top of their house.

“When I got up to the top floor, I saw the roof gone and the furniture soaked in rainwater,” he said adding that he hopes the government can speed up assistance for them to repair the damage.

Another resident, Idayu Mohamad Adnan, 53, said she was devastated by the incident that blew away the roofs of her house because her family were preparing to host a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency