Two people have been killed and dozens injured as a freak tornado hit Auckland in New Zealand.
It ripped the roof off a shopping mall in the suburb of Albany with winds of 125 miles an hour.
The tornado hit at 3pm local time flipping cars and uprooting trees as it carved a trail of destruction stretching for kilometres, according to local reports.
Television footage showed huge pieces of roofing and debris flying through the air after the tornado hit, sending people fleeing for shelter.
Witnesses said the tornado sounded like “a giant vacuum cleaner” when it tore across the Albany Megacentre, one of the largest shopping centres in the country.
Auckland mayor Len Brown said two people were killed and dozens injured, adding the death toll could rise. “We’ve had two confirmed fatalities, it’s absolutely disastrous,” he told Radio New Zealand.
Auckland city council said an emergency centre had been set up to co-ordinate relief efforts, while police urged people to stay indoors.
The tornado, which passed over in less than 30 seconds, is the latest in a string of disasters to hit New Zealand, including two earthquakes in Christchurch, the second of which claimed more than 180 lives.