Seaside restaurants in Penang severely damaged by huge waves measuring up to 3 metres

Penang seaside restaurants severely damaged by huge waves

Huge waves as high as three metres struck the coasts of Butterworth and Penang Island in Malaysia on Tuesday (17 Sept) at around 11am, damaging buildings.

At least five seafood restaurants on the beach in Pantai Bersih, Butterworth were among those affected.

Floors and walls collapsed, leaving massive holes inside the restaurants.

Floor of seaside restaurant collapsed

Liu Chengguo, the owner of the worst-hit seaside restaurant, said strong winds started around 10am, accompanied by unusually large waves.

As the wind intensified, the waves grew higher, and a massive three metre wave flooded the restaurant around 11am.

“I realized the situation was not good, so I quickly arranged for the diners sitting in the dim sum area to eat elsewhere,” he told Sin Chew Daily.

Shortly after, a loud bang was heard, and the floor collapsed, leaving a huge hole.

Thankfully, it was not lunch hour, so there were few diners, and all including 20 employees were safe.

Locals observed strong winds in recent days

Li Lingling, an employee, said despite the storm in the morning, they thought everything was fine.

But at 11am, the waves grew larger, flooding the kitchen and damaging tables and chairs.

“We had to call an electrician to unplug all the electrical appliances in the store, otherwise it would be terrible to get an electric shock,” she shared.

“If it happened during business hours at night, the situation would be disastrous.”

She added it was the first time she experienced such large waves, although the area has experienced strong winds in recent days.

Huge waves similarly ravaged neighbouring areas

At almost the same time, huge waves also struck the Gurney Drive hawker centre on Penang Island. Authorities quickly cordoned off the area to prevent accidents.

Meanwhile, the public was warned to stay away from the beach during the onslaught of the waves, reported the New Straits Times.

Also read: Hundreds of passengers trapped in ferry after it’s pushed off course by heavy rain in M’sia

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Featured image adapted from Sin Chew Daily.