Four year old boy killed in freak storm that claimed the lives of three Melburnians had just left his home on COVID-19 approved exercise with his parents when tragedy struck
- Ayan Kapoor died after being struck by a tree in Melbourne on Thursday
- There were two others killed during the ferocious storm - a woman and man
- Wind gusts as strong as 124 kilometres per hour were recorded in some parts
- Suburbs were plunged into darkness, 50,000 homes are still without power
- Ayan leaves behind a two year old sister who was lucky not to be killed too
Four-year-old Ayan Kapoor loved nothing more than getting outside with his family for the little time he could.
Trapped in COVID-19 Stage Four hell, his family in Blackburn South - 16kms east of Melbourne - were only allowed out for an hour to exercise.
As a wild storm descended upon Melbourne on Thursday afternoon, Ayan's doting parents were not about to let the weather keep them cooped up inside any longer.
Ayan Kapoor, 4, (pictured) was out for an evening walk with his sister and dad when tragedy struck on Thursday night
Throughout the lockdown, the family, which includes Ayan's two-year old sister Ahana, had made a point of getting the kids out for some fresh air.
No longer able to venture out to parks or play centres, the family would simply walk up and down their quiet street.
The wind was howling when Ayan's dad told his little man to put on his coat and head out for their walk.
There is not much to see along the short strip of Hawthorn Road where the family resides.
Bright yellow flowers line the footpath and the area could be described as leafy.
The large tree that claimed Ayan's short life was among the tallest on the road.
Neighbours said it showed no signs of toppling over.
By 6pm last night, winds across Melbourne's east had reached terrifying speeds.
They appeared to come out of nowhere.
One minute it was calm, the next it was upon you.
On Friday, Ayan's uncle Munish Chawla stood outside the family home and gazed upon council workers chopping up the might tree into little pieces.
Inside, Ayan's family remained in a state of shock - too distraught to venture out into the now perfect Melbourne morning.
'It's very sad. The parents are upstairs . They are in a very bad condition,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'Ayan was just four-and-a-half.'
Mr Chawla said his brother-in-law had just taken his two children out for a walk when the tree fell.
'He was with father and sister. They were altogether and just they'd just left from the home minutes earlier on their daily exercise,' he said.
'They just go out to the end of the road and then come back every day. That's it.'
A young girl lays flowers at the spot where little Ayan was killed by a falling tree on Thursday evening
Workers on Friday continued to work to remove the might tree from where it fell in Blackburn South
Ayan was one of three people who were killed by falling trees after a ferocious storm tore through Melbourne
As Mr Chawla gazed upon the tree, he pondered about what forces could have brought it down.
'It's such a strong tree,' he said. 'It just fell all over. They have moved it now, but it was all over.'
Mr Chawla said Ayan had been enjoying kindergarten and looking forward to school.
Ayan had been taken to hospital in a critical condition but could not be saved.
As workers removed the tree on the back of a truck, a teenage girl walking her dog appeared with a bunch of flowers.
She did not know little Ayan, but was compelled to come and pay her respects.
'It's just so sad. The poor little boy,' she said. 'The storm just came up out of nowhere.'
A 30 minute drive to the east, a 59-year-old man also died after a tree crushed his car.
He had been in a shopping centre carpark in Belgrave.
A 36-year-old woman, who was a passenger in a ute driving along the Maroondah Highway at Fernshaw, was also killed by a falling tree at 6.50pm. The driver suffered minor injuries.
Multiple suburbs across the city were plunged into darkness during the deadly storm which tore through the state on Thursday night.
There were still about 50,000 homes without power on Friday morning.
The State Emergency Service received 1700 calls for help throughout the night.
'We're urging any road users to please drive carefully and to the conditions particularly across the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the Yarra Ranges,' the SES said.
A deadly storm tore through Melbourne on Thursday night, uprooting trees across the city
'Look out for fallen branches and debris.'
Volunteers worked through the night to try to clear the fallen trees and branches littered across roads and railway tracks.
Several major train lines were suspended while the tracks are cleared.
There were replacement buses for the Belgrave, Cranbourne, Frankston, Glen Waverley, Hurstbridge, Pakenham and Sandringham lines.
All services were back up and running on Friday morning.
Damaging winds also tore roofs off buildings (pictured) sparking a warning from the SES for residents to stay home
One resident saw their trampoline lifted off the ground and tossed through the air on Thursday
Wind gusts as strong as 124 kilometres per hour were recorded in Mount Gellibrand, east of Colac.
Lilydale and Emerald in Melbourne’s outer east were hit the hardest by the storm.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning on Thursday afternoon for Melbourne, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsular.
Meteorologists are predicting a calmer weekend ahead with westerly winds up to 20 km/h on Friday becoming light in the middle of the day then becoming north to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening.
Saturday should be a sunny 20C with northerly winds up to 40 km/h.
Volunteers worked through the night to try to clear the fallen trees and branches littered across roads and railway tracks
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