New Zealand prepares to bury victims from Christchurch mosque massacre

SANAA, March 19 (YPA) – Preparations for the burial of the 50 victims of the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, began on Tuesday morning in New Zealand.

“We are fully aware of the need to deal sensitively with the requirements of every family,” said Sarah Stewart Black, director of the Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management at a press conference in Christchurch.

The New Zealand immigration authorities confirmed that they had issued 65 visas to family members so that they could attend the funeral.

Bodies of the victims of Friday’s attacks are being washed and prepared for burial in a Muslim ritual process, with teams of volunteers flown in from overseas to assist with the heavy workload.

Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, aged 28, was charged with the murders on Saturday.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 5, where the police are likely to accuse him of additional charges.

Most of the victims are migrants or refugees from Pakistan, India, Turkey, Somalia, Kuwait and Bangladesh.

The New Zealand authorities said that the attack also injured another 50 people, including 30 still in Christchurch Hospital.

Nine of the injured are still in critical condition. A four-year-old child was taken to a hospital in Auckland in a critical state of health.

E.M