Christchurch: At least 49people were killed after gunmen opened fire in two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, during afternoon prayers on Friday.
The New Zealand police said three men and one woman have been taken into custody.
The shootings occurred at the Masjid al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue and Linwood Masjid in Linwood.
Also Read:France tries to contain fuel spill in Atlantic
The deadliest attack occurred at the Masjid Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch at about 1:45 pm (local time). Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said 30 people were killed there and ten people were killed at the Linwood Masjid mosque.
One man who has claimed responsibility for the shootings left a 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto in which he explained who he was and his reasoning for his actions.
Police have warned people to avoid mosques anywhere in New Zealand. People in Christchurch are asked to generally be off road and schools are on lockdown there.
Also Read:Brexit tearing Britain apart: Trump
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the news and said it's 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'. She also asserted that people who commit such heinous acts "have no place in the country".
Meanwhile one of the persons taken by police is found to be an Australian. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that one of the four people taken into custody in New Zealand's mosque shootings is an Australian.
