CHCH--Mosque shooting: Nationalities of victims slowly emerging

Brian from New Lynn

People from Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Indonesia are believed to be among the nationalities of people who have been killed or injured in the terrorist attack on Muslim worshippers in Christchurch. People from Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere also remain on the missing persons' list. A New Zealand police spokeswoman said it was not in a position yet to confirm the nationalities, but would be doing so as soon as possible. Rashid Omar, who moved to Christchurch from Yishun, Singapore, said he was with the police when the Herald called. But he confirmed that his son Tariq Omar, 24, had been killed. A total of 50 people were killed when a gunman opened fire at worshippers in Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque. Not all the dead have been formally identified, and police have appealed for people to register anyone thought to still be missing or mark themselves as alive online. Government representatives from several affected countries, including at least one head of state, have started arriving in Christchurch, the Herald has been told. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred our queries and requests for confirmation to the police. According to Jordan's foreign affairs ministry, two Jordanians were among those killed. Pakistan said five Pakistanis were missing and four injured. At least two Malaysians are also thought to be injured, and one of them has been named as technician Rahimi Ahmad, who remains in a critical condition. He was shot in the abdomen and spine at Al Noor mosque and had undergone at least two surgeries to remove the bullets. Two Malaysian state assemblyman Azrul Mahatir Aziz and state exco Phee Boon Poh arrived in Christchurch on Sunday morning and had spent the afternoon with families of the two victims. Ahmad's mother, Rokiah Mohammad, will also be arriving on Saturday evening to join the family.
The other injured Malaysian national is Mohammed Tarmizi Shuib, a flight simulator operator. His 14-year-old nephew, Idris Khairudin, was in the mosque with him when the shooting started. Khairudin said prayers were just about to begin when he heard multiple gunshots. "At first I thought it was just like construction work or something, then people were all running and screaming," said the 14-year-old Hillmorton High School student.
He managed to escape unhurt but said his uncle was shot "in the backside". It has also emerged that at least three Bangledeshis have been killed and four others injured, and two Indonesians, a father and his son, were injured. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least three Turkish citizens had been injured. It is also believed that one Palestinian national was killed and several injured during the attacks. Red Cross New Zealand has published a list of those missing on its website, which include people from countries including India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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