Auckland floods: Beauden Barrett leads Blues players helping out at Mangere aid centre

Players from the Auckland Blues Super Rugby club celebrated their Auckland Anniversary Day by lending their city a helping hand in the wake of the devastation caused by flooding in the region since Friday.

Star first-five Beauden Barrett and prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi were among several squad members in action at the Mangere Memorial Hall yesterday, helping dozens of others who had foregone their public holiday to organise food, clothes, toiletries and medication for those in need.

Barrett says so many people do not have homes at the moment, and have been affected badly by the floods.

He says it feels great to be able to help out.

Kiwi boxing great David Tua was also among the multitudes assisting with the packaging and transportation of aid materials.

Government agencies including Civil Defence, Ministry of Social Development and Kainga Ora are working alongside Pasifika Groups at the hub, as well as doctors and nurses providing medical assistance.

Four people have now lost their lives in the flash floods that have hit Auckland over the last three days and millions of dollars of damage have occurred. A state of emergency remains in place in Auckland and further south in regional Waitomo.

Auckland is expected to receive further heavy rain over the coming days. MetService has issued an updated Heavy Rain Warning for Auckland and Great Barrier Island for 12 hours from January 31 at 6pm.

The Auckland Council said if the rain continues at this pace there will be further flooding and landslides are expected.

[Source: newshub]