Two dead as tornado strikes Auckland shopping mall - 3rd May 2011

Two people were killed while 20 others were injured after a tornado smashed Auckland, New Zealand. According to police reports, the twister destroyed the roof of Albany Megacentre shopping mall in North Shore City around three o’clock in the afternoon.

The victims of the catastrophe were brought to North Shore Hospital. Spokesman Paul Patton accounted that at least 20 were injured while another two were sent to Auckland Hospital.

The whirlwind, averaging 200 kilometers per hour, damaged a great number of houses and cars.

Rebel Sports’ Martin Sibrits said the tornado was huge."It was simply unbelievable, it was huge. I could set pieces of iron flying through the air, 100 meters up," he said.

Sibrits related that from his position it seemed as if the Placemakers Hardware Store gained the biggest hit. "That place is looking like a bomb site," he recalled.

Mainline Music’s Ross Sims said the tornado sounded like a jet engine."I thought, 'geez that plane is low' but when I looked outside it was this giant big black cloud," Sims said. Read More