Australian man arrested, 40 dead in Christchurch mosque terror attack

Christchurch shootings.

Christchurch shootings. Source: AAP

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed 40 people have been killed in shootings at two Christchurch mosques.


Forty people have been killed and four people are in custody, including one Australian, after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, sparking a hunt for an active shooter in the South Island town of Christchurch.

Speaking from Wellington on Friday evening, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that 40 people were believed dead and more than 20 seriously injured across the two locations.

"It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack," she said, before travelling to Christchurch on Saturday. 

"These are people who I would describe as having extremist views, that have absolutely no place in New Zealand, and in fact have no place in the world."

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed earlier that police had arrested four people, three men and one woman, but said he wouldn't "assume that the threat is over".

We spoke to the attack survivor Mirwais Waziri, please listen to the full interview here.

 


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