Tents ripped, stalls wrecked as storm strikes 100 traders near Kuala Terengganu drawbridge

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 11 — Around 100 traders operating near the Drawbridge here suffered losses after a storm damaged their stalls at approximately 2.30pm yesterday.

One of the affected traders, Muhammad Zikri Mohd Noor, 31, who sells char kuey teow, said the storm struck while he was still at home in Kampung Gelugor Kedai preparing ingredients to begin business.

Fortunately, he noted that the damage was limited to tent structures, and none of the merchandise was affected.

"At the time, I was at home getting everything ready for my 4pm opening. When I heard about the storm, I rushed to the site and saw the stalls, chairs, and tables in complete disarray,” he said when interviewed at the Drawbridge sales area.

Zikri shared that this was the second time in two weeks that he had suffered storm-related losses. He added that the increasingly erratic weather poses significant risks to traders due to sudden gusts of wind and heavy rainfall.

“We know trading near the beach carries risks, but we don’t have many other options. I lost about RM500 today because my tent was completely damaged and needs replacing. Last week’s storm caused less damage, just to the canopy fabric,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Tuah Taib, 59, who sells coffee and popiah (spring rolls) and hails from Bukit Payong in Marang, said he would need to fork out around RM350 to repair his stall’s broken poles.

“In my three years trading here, this is the third time I’ve suffered losses due to a storm. Thankfully, it hit early today, so all our goods were still in the car and unharmed,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Tuah said he will continue trading at the Drawbridge site because of its prime location and strong tourist footfall, especially on weekends and public holidays. — Bernama