A man killed in a freak tornado in Auckland on Saturday was thrown into the air before colliding with an ‘object’.
The devastating twister hit the south Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe shortly after 8am, turning suburbs into a ‘war zone’.
The man was working at the Ports of Auckland freight hub when the killer storm ripped through the area and injured two others on site.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff said the man was hoisted into the air and thrown against an object.
The man is believed to have been a contractor who at the time of his death was fixing machinery for Conlinxx, which operates the site.
Debris is scattered across a street in Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand after a tornado swept through the suburb at 8am Saturday
The storm ripped off roofs and brought down power lines in more than 1,200 homes
Scaffolding on local construction sites created dangerous debris during the wild winds
Auckland on Monday was still cleaning up from the wild weather which included gusts of wind so powerful it toppled shipping containers at the Ports of Auckland freight hub .
‘We are shocked by this freak event and our thoughts are with the people affected,’ a spokesman from the Ports of Auckland said.
Mr Goff described the entire suburb as a ‘war-zone’.
‘The tornado caused significant damage to the site and dislodged multiple containers,’ he said.
‘It’s an absolute tragedy that we’ve lost a person, but it could have been so much worse.’
Pictures of the aftermath showed vehicles overturned, roofs torn off buildings, power lines toppled, trees uprooted, and debris strewn across streets.
The force of the winds were so strong they easily upturned vehicles
According to Auckland mayor Phil Goff, the cost of clean-up could run intot tens of millions of dollars
Locals helped with recovery efforts prompting praise from Mayor Goff
Mr Goff said the damage bill could run into the tens of millions of dollars.
‘There’ll be people that have faced costs that aren’t covered in any other way and that are causing hardship, we just want to have something there as a back-up to give people the assistance so that they are not suffering real hardship.’ he said.
More than 1,200 homes were left without power after the freak storm.
The damage was centred around the southern suburb of Papatotoe with residential streets in South Auckland slammed.
The twister has left the local area with millions of dollars worth of damages including torn roofs, uprooted trees and torn power lines
Papatotoe resident Heather Haylock said the storm destroyed brand new houses before their owners could move in.
‘Trees were snapped off at the roots, there’s a new house being built over the road and it’s all over on one side. Cars have been crushed by power poles. It’s kinda crazy really,’ she told The New Zealand Herald.
New Zealand’s acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi said the cleanup and repairs were expected to take weeks.
Clean up efforts and repairs rolled out on Monday are expected to take months to complete
‘My heart goes out to the family and friends who have lost a loved one, and to those who have been injured,’ he said.
‘I know this has been a distressing weekend for people in Auckland, with many lives disrupted, and many homes and businesses damaged.’
Mr Faafoi praised residents for rallying together during the clean-up effort, with many helping secure tarpaulins and handing out meals.
Council team are going from house to house to estimate the storm damage
‘I’d like to recognise the extraordinary efforts of emergency management staff, first responders, volunteers, businesses, community leaders and residents who have also provided support,’ he said.
‘There is still a recovery effort ahead for this impacted community. They should know the government will be standing alongside them.’
Source: Daily Mail
