The whirlwind hit the hamlets of Kebakan and Karangandong in Menthuk village at 12.00 AM but there were no reports of fatalities, some local residents said.
The damaged houses belonged to Wagiman, Jumono, Suwaji, Johan, and Ranto. They and their relatives survived after rushing out of their homes in time.
But, the whirlwind smashed the roofs of five houses and caused a toppled tree to fall on a house, the residents said.
According to Warjono, 50, the whirlwind had just hit the village`s area for a few minutes but it smashed the roofs of a number of houses.
They panicked and did their best to protect themselves from the rubble of damaged roofs and toppled trees, he said.
Another resident named Slamet Raharjo, 59, said tens of trees collapsed by the strong whirlwind that hit the two hamlets following a drizzle.
Shortly after the whirlwind subsided, locals returned to their homes. Some helped repair the damaged roof of Ranto`s house, he said.
Over the past year, various parts of Indonesia have been hit by extremely bad weather, coupled with heavy rains and whirlwinds.
On December 29, 2010, a whirlwind also hit Kancilan village, Kembang subdistrict, Jepara district, Central Java, causing damage to 49 houses and six stores.
The whirlwind also damaged a school building and a church, but there were no reports on fatalities, Head of the Kembang subdistrict government`s social welfare office, Nuri Wahyudi, said.
On December 24, 2010, a whirlwind also hit Karangaji village in Kembang subdistrict, damaging 90 houses and a school building.
On December 26, 2010, a whirlwind also hit Srobyong and Karanggandong villages in Kembang subdistrict. A total of 114 houses in the two villages were badly damaged.
Then on January 16, a whirlwind destroyed two houses and damaged 18 others in Cinta Puri village, Simpang Empat subdistrict, Banjar district, South Kalimantan.
The houses belonged to transmigrants, Head of Banjar district`s natural disaster mitigation unit, Sunarto, said recently. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
