Freak storm rips roof off Deputy Premier Dr Sim’s family home, leaves trail of damage across Kuching

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Aug 28: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds late yesterday afternoon ripped through Kuching, tearing off large sections of the roof of the house belonging to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian’s late mother, Puan Sri Sim Su Kheng, and causing damage to homes, businesses and vehicles across the city.

The residence, located near tHe Spring Shopping Mall, was among the properties hardest hit by the freak weather event. tHe Spring Shopping Mall itself also reported damage to parts of its roof structure.

Dr Sim, who was in Bintulu at the time of the incident, said he was thankful that no one was injured.

“We are very blessed and thankful that everyone is safe at home,” he said in a social media post, adding that several houses in the surrounding area were also affected.

The Deputy Premier expressed concern over what he described as the growing frequency of such extreme weather incidents in Kuching and Sarawak.

“Sadly, there are increasing incidents of freak storms in Kuching and Sarawak. Climate change is not only real but is causing tremendous damage to properties in Sarawak, even though Sarawak is net zero,” he said.

He also thanked emergency responders and government agencies for their swift assistance following the storm.

“Thanks to the fast response of APM (Civil Defence Force), Bomba (Fire and Rescue Department), Sesco and various agencies that provided the much-needed assistance,” he said.

Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng was also on site to assess the situation.

The storm left a trail of destruction across several parts of Kuching, uprooting trees and damaging property.

At Lorong Park, falling trees struck two vehicles, while similar incidents were reported along Jalan Simen Raya near Pending Seafood, Jalan Padungan and Jalan Rumbia.

In Jalan Bukit Mata near Wisma Phoenix, strong winds blew off roofing structures and caused an awning to collapse, scattering debris across the road and disrupting traffic.

According to MBKS councillor Eric Tay, the incident damaged two vehicles and blocked the roadway.

“Our MBKS Enforcement Unit responded quickly and sealed off the area to ensure public safety. With the assistance of the Padungan Police, we managed to contact the vehicle owners,” he said in a post shared on his social media.

Tay also thanked MBKS contractors and personnel from the Bomba Padungan for their prompt response in clearing the debris and restoring access to the area.

“A big thank you to our MBKS contractors and Padungan Bomba for working together to clear the fallen roofing and debris, allowing the road to reopen safely,” he said. — DayakDaily

Advertisement