ONEHEKE - Seven members of a family escaped unscathed from a traditional hut that fell on them due to a whirlwind that damaged their home in the Oneheke village of Okalango on Saturday.

They were seated under the shade of the hut to escape the scorching sun. 

Three other family members pulled out those who were under the ruins. 

One of those who escaped unhurt, Wilhelmine Halweendo (50), said the corrugated iron sheets from the room twirled up in the air with the wind and those corrugated irons came falling on the hut where they were sitting, causing the hut to fall on them.

“I was also under the hut, but luckily we all escaped unharmed. Our house is now damaged and there is nothing we can do,” said Halweendo.

She said they now share the remaining four rooms while they see what they can do to fix the damaged ones.

Her sister Emilia Halweendo said it was such a scary ordeal.

“We are very lucky. My mother and our grandchildren were with us when the room collapsed on us,” said Emilia.

She maintained that some of the corrugated iron sheets landed into the neighbour’s yard and most of the grass from the traditional hut is scattered all over the house yard and field.

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