Insane moment a Westfield ROOF collapses on terrified shoppers during an electrifying superstorm with the entire centre evacuated and four stores destroyed
- Sydney battered by a violent storm cell, with heavy rain, hail on Thursday
- The roof of a Westfield in Western Sydney collapsed and the centre evacuated
- A tornado warning was issued for Greater Sydney and surrounding areas
The terrifying moment the ceiling inside a busy Australian shopping centre dramatically collapsed next to a packed Woolworths during a dangerous storm cell has been caught on video.
The ceiling above four stores inside Westfield at Mount Druitt in Western Sydney failed and crashed in, sending panels and cladding falling to the floor of the shops as a violent storm hit the mall like a wrecking ball around 4pm on Thursday.
The dangerous roof collapse happened to stores surrounding a packed Woolworths on level one of the centre, which had to be immediately evacuated.
Sydney was pounded with hail, torrential rain and high winds during the super cell storm on Thursday which left a trail of damage in its wake.
The ceiling above four stores inside the giant Westfield at Mount Druitt collapsed, sending panels and cladding crashing onto the floor of the shops as a violent superstorm hammered Sydney on Thursday afternoon. The aftermath is pictured
Frightening footage showed water pouring from light fittings onto the ground outside busy shops beside the packed Woolworths at Westfield Mount Druitt (pictured)
The dramatic video captured from inside the Mount Druitt mall shows sections of the ceiling above a Best & Less outlet crashing onto the floor as flood water begins to pour down.
Frightening footage also showed water pouring out of light fittings onto the floor outside busy shops before shoppers were sent fleeing and the huge mall of 204 stores was evacuated.
The enormous power of the storm was obvious outside the centre, where giant sails covering the carpark were pushed to the ground.
The enormous power of the storm was obvious from the state of the carpark outside Mount Druitt Westfield (pictured)
One of three Westfield Mount Druitt stores destroyed in the chaos was the Best & Less on level one (pictured)
Miraculously no-one was injured.
Fire and Rescue NSW told Daily Mail Australia received a call at 4.09pm and rushed to the scene with two trucks including eight firefighters attending.
Firefighters evacuated shoppers and conducted a ‘salvage operation’ inside the mall.
Sehaj Indian Food and Sweets was completely destroyed by the ceiling collapse at Westfield Mount Druitt
Other photos taken by rescuers show an Indian restaurant adjacent to Woolworths, Sehaj Indian Food and Sweets, completely destroyed by the roof collapse.
The entire Westfield Mall was evacuated and at least four stores affected.
‘Based on what we know the rain water seemed to have channelled itself to right above the store and pooled there causing the ceiling to collapse,’ a spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW told Daily Mail Australia.
Firies had no choice but to close the centre for fear of further celling collapse and potentially serious injuries.
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