Twister destroys 9 houses in Malabon

At least nine houses were destroyed by a twister early morning yesterday in Malabon City.

“Strong winds accompanied by heavy downpour destroyed nine houses in the city’s squatters community early in the morning but nobody was reported hurt,” Bong Padua, Malabon City public information officer, told The STAR.

Padua said at around 6 a.m., residents of Sitio Pinagsabugan in Barangay Longos were in panic when a twister hit the area destroying the roofs of at least nine houses, affecting 11 families.

Mayor Canuto Oreta immediately sent a rescue team in Sitio Pinagsabugan and brought to safer grounds the families of Rex Magaw, Abelardo Morado Jr., Gingging Purisima, Marina Arnibal, Oliver Lozada, Salvacion Pilande, Elizabeth Opalla, Zenaida Montoya, Edna Lumumbang, Willie Legaspi and Natividad Tuazon.

Padua said Barangays Dampalit and Panghulo, where the damaged dikes are located, are still impassable due to floodwaters but light vehicles could pass through most of Malabon’s 21 barangays as of 2 p.m. yesterday.

He said Oreta called on residents yesterday to be extra vigilant for more possible disasters the weather disturbance may bring.

“Before it was only flood, but this morning we have a twister,” Padua said. – Pete Laude