A freak storm lashed four mukim in Kulim, damaging 57 houses - including 28 where the roofs were blown away yesterday evening.

Strong winds sped through the mukim, leaving a trail of disaster, including toppled trees.

District welfare officer Rohana Yusuf told reporters in Kulim that 35 of the houses are in Mukim Padang China, 16 in Mukim Keladi, five in Mukim Lunas and one in Mukim Sungai Seluang.

Five houses in Lunas and another in Taman Maktab, Kiang Lama, Mukim Sungai Seluang, were also destroyed in the incident. No injuries or loss of lives has been reported in the 6pm incident.

Welfare officers have visited the places to assess damage.

A check by Bernama at the affected areas showed efforts were under way to clean up the fallen trees.

One of the residents, Mohd Dahar Jusoh, 40, whose house was damaged in the storm, said he and his wife, Zuaida Abdul Aziz, 38, were working when they were informed of the incident.

“We moved into the house a month ago after renovating it at a cost of RM60,000,” said Mohd Dahar, a teacher at a school in Kuala Ketil, Baling.

A factory worker, Hafizah Md Hasan, 40, said she was walking home, carrying her 20-month-old daughter when the storm struck.

“I nearly fell to the ground in the strong wind. A mango tree toppled and almost hit us,” she said.

- Bernama