New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that 40 people were killed in the mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques on Friday.
This was followed by an announcement by New Zealand’s police commissioner that nine more people had died, taking the toll to 49.
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the gunman who killed numerous worshippers was a right-wing extremist with Australian citizenship.
The shooter reportedly live streamed the entire incident on Facebook. Witnesses told media that a man dressed in a military-style, camouflage outfit, and carrying an automatic rifle had started randomly shooting people.
A Bangladeshi journalist Mohammad Isam, in a tweet reported that the entire Bangladesh cricket team were among those who escaped from the mosque near Hagley park, where the shooting took place.
“Bangladesh team escaped from a mosque near Hagley Park where there were active shooters. They ran back through Hagley Park back to the Oval,” he wrote.