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

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

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

Yong Chee Fong, 35, said he was thankful that the customers and workers 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 bad storm has occurred, damaging all the equipment in my shop,” he said.

Mita Devi, 36, said she saw the 20-minute ‘tornado’ blowing off roofs of houses.

“I could only pray for our family to be spared. I am thankful our house is not too badly damaged,” she said.

Ipoh Barat MP M Kula Segaran, who visited the site, urged those who had suffered losses to lodge police reports to help his office and the state government to provide financial aid to those who needed it.

A Perak fire and rescue department spokesman said officers and firemen from the Ipoh station were mobilised after they received a report of the incident at 6.40pm.

He said while several trees were uprooted and houses damaged, no injuries or deaths had been reported so far.