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Highlight-Batam-storm
JP/2/HIGH

Woman dies, houses
damaged in gale

INDONESIA: A woman died and hundreds of houses were damaged
when a storm with high winds hit nine subdistricts in Batu Ampar,
Batam city, in the Riau Islands province on Saturday.

Bengkong Harapan village chief Rizal said the storm with its
gale-force winds hit suddenly at noon.

"Parts of my house's roof are gone; they flew away with the
wind," Rizal told The Jakarta Post.

A housewife, 35-year-old Jusmani, was buried in her house in
Bengkong Laut after it collapsed when a tree fell onto it.

Head of the data and information section at the Meteorology
and Geophysics Agency in Batam, Alep Sunarto, said his office had
recorded the wind speeds reaching 100-kilometers per hour.

Batam city spokesman Guntur Sakti said about 200 houses were
damaged by the storm.

"Currently, we're erecting a temporary shelter for those who
have lost their homes in the disaster," Guntur said. -- JP