A terrorist attack took place on the southern island of New Zealand - in the city of Christchurch, two mosques were attacked. As stated by Prime Minister Jasinda Ardern, 40 people were killed, dozens were injured. According to the regional health department, at least 48 people were hospitalized.
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According to Ardern, 10 people were shot at a mosque in Lynwood (a suburb of Christchurch), and 30 people were shot at a mosque on Deans Avenue in the city.
“I heard more than 50 shots”
According to New Zealand media, at about 1:40 pm local time (04:40 Moscow time), an armed man opened fire on the parishioners of the mosque on Deans Avenue. At this point in the building were about 200 people.
“I just ran as fast as I could, jumped over the fence in Hagli Park, ran non-stop. I heard more than 50 shots, ”said a young man who witnessed the attack.
The offender broadcast the attack live through the social network Facebook, and a manifesto containing extremist ideas was published online.
As noted, the attacker - a native of Australia. Information about the detention of the Australian confirmed in Canberra.
According to local media reports, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, who holds far-right views, could be the culprit. It is noted that it was he who posted the manifesto in the Internet, in which he explained why he decided to commit the attack.
Second attack
Around the same time, there were reports of shooting at the Masjid Mosque on Lynwood Street. According to the witness, the shooting was led by two armed men. The sound of the shots continued for about one minute.
Meanwhile, the Subaru car, on which, judging by the video, Terrent was moving, was discovered on Strickland Street. Police cordoned off the area around the vehicle.
Along with this, the media reported on the detention of a man dressed in military uniforms, near a high school north of the mosques.
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At the same time, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said that four people had been detained on suspicion of involvement in the two attacks - three men and a woman. Their names have not been disclosed.
Police reported that they defused several improvised explosive devices.
Law enforcement officers appealed to the Muslim communities of New Zealand with a request to temporarily close the mosque.
“At this stage we will not discuss the possible motives of the attacker or the causes of the incident. We asked all the mosques in the country to close their doors and advise people to refrain from visiting them, ”the message says.
According to preliminary data, there are no Russians among the victims of the tragedy in Christchurch. This was announced by the representative of the Russian Embassy in New Zealand.
“All data is not yet available, however, based on preliminary information that we currently possess, there are no our citizens among those killed or injured in these incidents. We continue to monitor the situation, since this information will be further refined, ”he quotes TASS.
"On the basis of hatred"
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jasinda Ardern, said that March 15 is one of the darkest days in the country's history. She called the incident a terrorist act and believes that the crime was carefully planned.
“Our thoughts and prayers are addressed to the victims of the tragedy. Christchurch was their home. For many, New Zealand may not have been a homeland, but it was their choice, ”she said during an emergency press conference.
Ardern believes that the authorities should closely monitor people who express extremist ideas. At the same time, the prime minister would not want the incident to lead to a change in the way of life in the country. Meanwhile, the level of the national threat was changed from "low" to "highest".
Her deputy, the leader of the New Zealand First party, Winston Peters, also called this attack a terrible sad day for the country.
“We must learn a lesson from what happened,” the politician explained.
Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, expressed her condolences to the families of the dead and injured. She stated that she was extremely shocked by the news of attacks on mosques.
"This is a heinous hate crime," Clark emphasized.