An Auckland man travelling to Fiji for a family event with his wife was left at the airport stranded as two of his family members were swept away in the floods caused by Tropical Cyclone Josie.
According to reports in the media, Krishneel Goundar from East Auckland was travelling with his wife Pavitra to Nadi for their second wedding ceremony with his family.
Krishneel married his wife Pavitra last year and intended to host another event with the family in Fiji.
Krishneel Goundar with his wife Pavitra (Picture: Facebook/File photo)
Krishneel’s father Veer Goundar and sister Shinal Mudaliar were supposed to pick up the couple from the Nadi International Airport on Sunday, April 1 but they could not make it.
As reported on Stuff.co.nz, the father-daughter duo was travelling in their car towards the airport when a flash wave struck their vehicle on the bridge and pulled them into the fast-flowing river.
Media reported that Mudaliar called her father-in-law from the car asking for urgent help as their car was filling with floodwater rapidly.
The vehicle was later found on the side of the road with the bodies of the duo inside. The father-daughter duo is two of the five people who died in Tropical Cyclone Josie in Fiji over the long weekend.
Father-daughter Shinal Mudaliar and Veer Goundar (left) with a family member (Picture: Facebook/File photo)
Speaking to a local family member in Auckland, who chose to remain anonymous, The Indian Weekender learned that father Veer Goundar travelled from Suva to Nadi to pick his son from the airport.Krishneel works as a mechanic for Mag & Turbo in Mount Wellington in Auckland.
Krishneel called his friend and employer Brett Horsfall in Auckland from Nadi airport with the disturbing news of his family members’ sudden demise.
“I don’t know what to do,” Krishneel said to his friend Brett over the call, Stuff reported.
"He has stuck at the airport with no family around," Brett said.
"It broke my heart."
Brett also said that now his friend Krishneel has to make funeral arrangements for two members of his family.
Krishneel Goundar with his sister Shinal Mudaliar (Picture: Facebook/File photo)
To help him at his distressed situation Brett offered him leave with pay and started a Givealittle page to raise funds for him.
Brett and Krishneel became friends three years back, and he moved to Auckland from Palmerston North in 2017 after accepting a job at Brett’s Mag & Turbo store in Mt Wellington.
Brett and his family also attended Krishneel and his wife Pavitra’s wedding in Palmerston North earlier last year.
Brett also mentioned that since Krishneel’s second ceremony is cancelled in Fiji, his expense in the ceremony would not be refunded and he would need an amount close to $20,000.
"He'd planned for this with his wife for such a long time," Brett said.
Krishneel’s sister Shinal Mudaliar's funeral was held on Wednesday and father Veer Goundar’s funeral is scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 7.
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