Twister uproots house, warehouse in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippine - A twister locally known here as ‘ipo-ipo’ hit an open field, uprooted a house and destroyed a warehouse late Monday afternoon in a barangay east of Zamboanga City, police reported.

The tornado, spawned due to inclement weather, also slightly injured a villager who was hit by flying debris at Sitio Barigon, Barangay Tugbungan- an open field used as fish drying area, Chief Inspector Felix Martinez, commander of the Police Station 6 said.

The victim was identified as Kimbok Indangan, 52, who dries fish.

Martinez said the twister occurred about 5:30 p.m. and caught up a house and dried fish warehouse made of light materials owned by a certain Pilar Torreja and occupied by the family of her laborer Antonio Lagotac.

Lagotac, 47, fish drier, told newsmen that they heard strong humming of winds and initially thought it was rain coming toward their direction prompting his wife to order him to close the windows as he ordered his family to evacuate to safe ground.

“I tried to close and nail the windows of the houses but the wind was too strong and suddenly I saw the ‘ipo-ipo’ moving fast toward my direction that I have to duck and the house was wildly moving,” Lagotac said.

Residents nearby said they saw how the twister uprooted the house occupied by the Lagotac and ripped its roof to the sky. 

The twister also tore the warehouse adjacent to the house and scattered the stocks of dried fishes.