Over $40,000 has been raised to support the family of a man killed when a tornado ripped through South Auckland on Saturday.
A Give-a-little page was set up to raise money for the family of forklift mechanic Janesh Prasad. The 41-year-old was working at the Ports of Auckland freight hub in Wiri when the twister hit around 8.30am.
Another worker at the port was rushed to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition.
Kate Singh told 1 NEWS her brother’s death had been a “very terrible blow” for the family.
“My brother was a very loving, caring and admirable person. I will never be able to find a person like him ever in life.”
Singh said they had been “blessed” with a flood of support coming in from the community.
Set up yesterday, the page was created to help care for his wife and two children left behind.
Donations have piled in with members of the public leaving messages of condolences.
“So unbelievable, such an awesome man! [Janesh] helped me with my mechanical nightmares with style and grace,” shared one person.
“We love you all and feel sorely destroyed by this unforeseeable tragedy that has destroyed your livelihood. May all your grief and distress be resolved in peace,” said another donor.
Vishal Kumar described Janesh as a “special person,” and was stunned by the loss of his close friend.
“You could call him at 2 o’clock in the morning. I used to call him Jodi, ‘Jodi out for a beer?’ and he’d see you there in five minutes.”
He told 1 NEWS they’d been looked after by the local community, with support coming in from around New Zealand.
Prasad's funeral service is on Wednesday.
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