Up to 50 dead in the New Zealand massacre – 03/17/2019

Anxious members of the family waited anxiously on Sunday for the authorities to hand over the remains of the deceased victims mbadacres in two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, while police announced that the number of victims of racist attacks Sent 50 people.

According to Islamic law, corpses must be cleaned and buried as soon as possible, usually before 24 hours. But two days after the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand's modern history, parents still do not know when to bury their loved ones.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the authorities were working with pathologists and medical examiners deliver the bodies as soon as possible.

"We have to be absolutely sure of the cause of death and confirm their identity before it happens," he said. "But we are also very conscious of the cultural and religious needs, so we do it as quickly and with the greatest possible sensitivity."

Premier Jacinda Ardern said that a small number of corpses will be delivered to families Sunday night and the authorities hope to have completed the process by Wednesday.

Police said they gave families a preliminary list of people who died, which helped some family members who were still waiting for news.

The magnitude of the tragedy and the task that remains to be accomplished were highlighted by the arrival of followers from across the country to participate in the funeral of Christchurch. The authorities have mobilized backhoes to open new graves in an area of ​​Muslim tombs that was already fenced and protected from the eyes of the curious by a white net.

White supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, on suspicion of having shot at him, appeared in a courtroom on Saturday as part of stringent security measures. with the white uniform of the convict. He showed no emotion when the judge read him a murder charge, after which he stated that "it is reasonable to badume" that they would be inflicted more on him.

Tarrant He published a confused 74-page manifesto on social networks before the killings and apparently used a headset with a camera to broadcast them live.

Ardern noted that the attacker had sent the document by email to his office. nine minutes before the attackalthough she did not receive it personally. His office was one of 30 mail recipients, who had been sent to the Department of Parliamentary Security just two minutes after receiving it.

At a press conference Sunday, Bush said that another body was found in the Al Noor mosque eliminating the latest casualties, bringing to 42 the number of deaths in this temple. Seven others lost their lives at the Linwood Mosque and another died later at the Christchurch Hospital.

34 others injured were still hospitalized in the city, 12 of them in critical condition, according to the authorities. A 4-year-old girl from Auckland Children's Hospital was also seriously injured.

Dozens of people gathered in a reception center for victims, families and friends in front of the hospital, and many flew from other parts of the country to lend their support .

After the Friday prayers mbadacres, Arden reiterated at a press conference Sunday his promise to amend the country 's gun laws. Your government will discuss the details of the policy on Monday.

AP Agency.

GML