New Zealand mourners begin to bury their dead

Relatives of New Zealand mosque shooting victims began to bury their bodies. Hundreds of mourners gathered at Memorial Park Cemetery designated for Muslims for the last rites.

Christchurch: Relatives of those killed in last week's shootings at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch began to bury their dead on Wednesday.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at a grave designated for Muslims as the funerals of a father and his son got under way at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Khalid Mustafa was 44; his son, Hamza, was 15 years old.

While many of the victims will be buried at the cemetery, some will be brought back to their home countries, officials have said.

Families of those killed had been anxiously awaiting word on when they could bury their loved ones.

Islamic tradition calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible.

New Zealand's police commissioner earlier in the day said police had now formally identified and released the remains of 21 of those killed.