Crushed workers had forged close friendship

Rescue workers carry away an injured worker from the Manurewa Marae. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Two men crushed to death by a house had become firm friends in the months leading up to the accident.

Marsh Terahi Wiri Peihopa, 24, and Waepeke Ruihana Tupaea, 61, were working on the foundations of a relocated house at the Manurewa Marae on Friday when a digger slipped down a bank and crashed into the building, knocking it off its blocks.

The house collapsed, trapping and killing both men and injuring two others who were taken to Middlemore Hospital.

Waepeke - known as Wae to his family - had been working in a management position at Andrews Housemovers for more than 27 years, and had taken Marsh under his wing.

Wae's older brother, George Tupaea, said they had become "very close".

"It's so sad that this happened, Marsh was so young. Wae was a very humble man, very happy and hard-working and so fit for a guy in his 60s. "

Another family member, who did not want to be named, said one of Wae's sons, Damian, was supposed to be at work that day but had taken leave.

"If he was there it would have been him trapped under there with his dad, for sure. It's so sad. There have been a lot of tears."

Wae's cousin, Darrell Tupaea, said he was a popular man who had made Auckland his home after moving from the Waikato 30 years ago.

"He was a strong, lively, guy," he said. "He was involved in a lot of things and well-respected."

Marsh's family were too distraught to talk yesterday.

Manurewa Marae Trust Board chairman Eru Thompson said that heavy rain had softened the ground beneath the parked digger, causing it to slip into the house.

A woman who saw the incident, about 12.30pm, said no one was on the digger.

The house had been bought with the help of the Manukau City Council to turn into a health centre.

Asked how they were coping, Thompson said: "Not well, to be honest. The loss of anyone in our whanau is tragic." The fact that this happened on the marae doesn't help.

A neighbour said, "I heard this huge thump, then a crack, then looked around the corner and saw it had hit the house. The house looked a wreck."

The scene has been classed a workplace incident, and the investigation has been handed over to the Department of Labour.

Waepeke's body was to be transported to his marae in Tuakau yesterday, while Marsh was at the funeral services at Mangere's Nga Whare Waatea Marae.