Winds tear away roof of market

Strong winds swept Carigara town in Leyte on Saturday night, damaging a portion of the town market.

Mary Jean Arpon, 30, of Barangay (village) Manlos, suffered a minor wound in the back when a metal sheet from the market’s roof hit her as she ran for safety.

Carigara Mayor Trinidad Apostol on Monday said 85 fish vendors who own stalls at the market were displaced. He placed damage at P1.6 million.

Edwin Donsal, 36, a vendor, said he saw winds ripping off roof materials and flinging these to different directions at past 7 p.m., when there was lightning and heavy rain. The market area faces the Carigara Bay.

“It lasted for some minutes, even five [minutes], but [the winds were] so fierce causing the roof of the structure to literally fly to various directions while fluorescent lights were exploding like firecrackers,” Donsal said on Sunday afternoon. Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas