A violent tornado has swept through the northern part of Auckland, resulting in two fatalities and ten individuals requiring hospitalization in a freak storm that has left New Zealanders, already weary of disasters, shaken.
At around 3pm (1pm AEST) on Tuesday, the twister tore off the roof of a shopping mall, flipped vehicles, uprooted trees, and sent shoppers fleeing in the suburb of Albany.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced the deaths of two individuals, with ten others receiving treatment at two Auckland hospitals.
According to the ambulance service, most victims suffered from multiple lacerations and injuries brought on by flying debris.
The terrifying twister traveled south at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour across a 5-kilometer stretch, leaving a trail of destruction that prompted witnesses to recall scenes from the Hollywood disaster film Twister.
Amateur videos captured the chaotic scene, showing roofing iron and other debris soaring across streets and parking areas.
Witnesses noted insulation Pink Batts falling from the sky, and described a sound reminiscent of the rumbling from the catastrophic earthquake that struck Christchurch on February 22nd, resulting in the deaths of 181 people.
A witness, Julie Carter, recounted to journalists her observation of three children in a car that was hurled into the air in a parking area before landing upside down. She noted another vehicle was flung approximately 60 meters away.
Samantha Davey, who works at Albany Optometrists, spoke to Radio New Zealand, mentioning that she witnessed sheets of metal soaring through the air near the mall.
“All we could see was a massive, black cloud spinning around with debris scattered everywhere. We were above the mall, so we were safe, but the mall took a hit; we can see part of the roof is missing and cars have been tossed around,” she said.
Martin Sibrits from Regal Sports described the tornado as ‘simply unbelievable’ to Fairfax New Zealand.
“It was enormous. I could see pieces of iron soaring through the air, a hundred meters up,” he stated.
He also mentioned that a nearby hardware store sustained the most significant damage.
by Sasha Dubronitz
