IPOH, Nov 8 — "I read out loud the azan (Muslim call to prayer) three times, felt like horses were 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.

According to the retired soldier, during the 4.15 pm 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 roofs 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 pulled the poles and electrical wires in the area.

This made him afraid and he loudly recited the azan three times.

"As soon as I recited it the third time, the storm stopped. 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 was 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 rushed home.

"When I got home, I saw the roof in my 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 Malaysian Civil Defence Force of Perak 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