IPOH: Hundreds of homes were damaged during a tornado-like freak storm in Kampung Tawas and Taman Tasek Damai here this evening.

This has left most of the Chinese residents in Kampung Tawas in despair as they are due to celebrate the Chinese New Year in just two days' time.

Teoh Boh Chee, who is in her 60s, said she was shocked when she suddenly heard the sound of strong winds blowing at about 6 pm.

"I was cooking at that time and saw with my own eyes the roof of my house being torn off and blown away by the wind.

"I really don't know what to do because Chinese New Year is only two days away... how are we going to celebrate it now?," she said when met by reporters.

Meanwhile, a trader Yong Chee Fong, 35, said he was thankful that 10 customers and several workers who were in his eatery managed to escape when the roof collapsed during the storm.

"I have been selling food here for the past 10 years but this is the first time such a very bad storm has occurred, damaging all the equipment in my shop," he said.

Mita Devi, 36, said she personally saw the 'tornado', which occurred for about 20 minutes, and witnessed roofs being blown away.

"I could only pray asking that our family be spared and I am thankful that our house is not too badly damaged," she said.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, who visited the site, urged all the victims involved to lodge a police report to facilitate his office and the state government to provide financial aid.

A Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) spokesman said they received a report of the incident at 6.40pm and quickly mobilised officers and firemen from the Ipoh JBPM station to the affected locations.

He said that while several trees were uprooted and houses damaged, no injury or deaths were reported so far.

-- BERNAMA