Accused gunman appears in Christchurch courts as hearses remove bodies from the scene.
KEY POINTS: • 49 confirmed dead in 'terrorist' sguhootings at two Christchurch mosques • Seven died at Linwood, 41 at mosque near Hagley Park • Four people initially arrested, including one woman • Man, 28 due in court tomorrow charged with murder • Gunman livestreamed shooting at Al Noor Mosque in chilling 17-min video
Forty-nine people have been killed and 48 more hurt after mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques in the worst terror attack on New Zealand soil.
Nour Tavis said he was in the front row of the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Ave with his friend when the shooting started. At first they did not know what the noise was.
"Then we heard screaming ... everyone panicked," he said. "There was shooting and shooting and shooting ... people were running and all of a sudden you saw them fall."
Tavis then tried to go back to the mosque and help the injured. "There were people bleeding to death ... it was terrible."
Tavis' friend lost his wife in the attack.
"When she heard the noise she wanted to go and make sure her husband was safe," he said. "She got the bullet, her husband got away. She was gone, she was no more."
Queen's message to NZ ... and Donald Trump's
The Queen has sent a message of condolence to New Zealanders: "I have been deeply saddened by the appalling events in Christchurch today. Prince Philip and I send our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.
"I also pay tribute to the emergency services and volunteers who are providing support to those who have been injured.
"At this tragic time, my thoughts and prayers are with all New Zealanders."
Britain's House of Commons will also observe a minute's silence at 11am (local time) in memory of those who have been killed and injured in the attacks.
US president Donald Trump also sent a message to the people of New Zealand via Twitter after the terror attack.
"My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques," Trump tweeted.
My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques. 49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured. The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!
"49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured. The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!"
"What we have been dealing with today is 48 gunshot wounds that were presented at Christchurch Hospital. So we have had 12 operating theatres that have been operating since this afternoon and will be continuing through until about midnight."
Patients' gunshot injuries ranged from "really critically injured" through to lesser wounds.
"With the size and scale of the operations we are doing today, many of those will end up having multiple operations over the coming days and weeks due to the nature of the wounds they have got."
Meates said a "mass casualty plan" had been activated: "It is something that we plan for and hope we never have to activate, and we have had to activate that today," he said.
"That involves us pulling in surgeons, nurses, doctors, support staff to enable us to respond, and we start deferring non-critical surgeries."
Meates said there had been over 200 family members on site at the hospital today.
"We have been working really closely with the Muslim community, police and other agencies to make sure we have the appropriate support structures in place."
The hospital would accommodate families who needed to stay there overnight.
Man, 28, charged with murder, due in court on Saturday
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the shootings were "abhorrent". At the Deans Ave mosque 41 people were killed, while seven had died at the Linwood mosque. A 49th person had died in hospital.
One man, 28, had been charged with murder and was due to appear in Christchurch District Court tomorrow morning.
"Two others remain in custody," Bush said.
"Another person was arrested earlier today however that was not related to these events."
Speaking about the victims Bush said: "Our love and thoughts go out to them and all of their family, all of their friends and all of their loved ones.
"We have staff around the country making sure everyone is safe, including armed offenders at all mosques. Police staff have gone above and beyond to protect people today."
Bush said police recovered a lot of firearms from both the Linwood Avenue and Deans Ave shooting scenes.
None of the four people initially arrested had been on any terrorism watch, including in Australia, the Police Commissioner said.
Bush said he has "no intelligence" on a potential attack on St Patrick's Day threat that has been reported. He was not aware of today's attacks being linked to any other terrorist plots.
Police were not "actively" looking for any of the potential attackers now.
Christchurch police had a force of 1000 staff, and Bush said he would expect "everyone of them" would want to be out on the streets now. Additional officers were being flown to Christchurch from Dunedin and surrounding areas.
PM: 'Unprecedented' terrorist attack
Earlier tonight, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had said the death toll was 40. She said a further 20 people were seriously injured, while Christchurch Hospital has just confirmed 48 people suffered gunshot wounds.
Ardern said it was an "unprecedented" situation and described it as a terrorist attack.
"It is clear that this can only be described as a terrorist attack. From what we know, it does appear to have been well planned. Two explosive devices attached to suspects' vehicles have been found and they have been disarmed."
Those in custody had not been on any terrorism watch list: "It's not a matter of someone having slipped under the radar," Ardern said.
"There are currently four individuals who have been apprehended but three are connected to this attack and are currently in custody, one of which has publicly stated that they were Australian-born.
"These are people who I would describe as having extremist views that have absolutely no place in New Zealand and in fact have no place in the world.
"While we do not have any reason to believe at this stage that there are other suspects, we are not assuming that at this stage.
Ardern said it was obvious the attacks had been planned for some time. Three people were arrested in relation to the attacks, while one other was arrested separately.
Ardern said she could not give any more detail about the alleged offenders.
An Australian-born suspect had been in New Zealand "a relatively short time".
She said she was asking questions about them, including access to firearms, of her officials.
The National Security Threat Level had been lifted from low to high.
The Defence Force was transporting more police to Christchurch.
Ardern said New Zealand was a place of safety where they raise their families.
"Those values will not and cannot be shaken," she said.
"This is a place where people should feel secure."
David Meates, chief executive of Canterbury District Health Board, said Christchurch Hospital and other health clinics were treating 48 patients for gunshot wounds.
"We stand here and condemn absolutely the attack that occurred today by an extremist, right wing, violent terrorist.
"[He] has taken the lives," he said, before correcting to: "they have stolen the lives in a vicious, murderous attack that has claimed so many New Zealanders.
Morrison said the attack reminds us about the evil that is ever present and would seek to "strike us out at any time."
The lock down of schools throughout Christchurch was lifted at 5.50pm.
When asked if it was true that a person had been arrested wearing wired explosives, Bush said that person had been made safe.
"We're still working through that but we believe there was a claim but that person has been made safe."
Bush said he was aware that footage of the Al Noor Mosque shooting was on social media and police were doing everything they could to get it removed.
People wait outside a mosque in central Christchurch. Photo / AP
"It shouldn't be in the public domain."
Facebook Australia-New Zealand policy director Mia Garlick said the videos have been taken down.
"New Zealand Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the livestream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooter's Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video."
He said police did not have conclusive information about the motivation behind the shootings.
He would not call it a terrorist attack but said it did not get any more serious in this country.
A number of helicopter and road ambulances are on standby to provide support, including transporting patients to other ICUs around the country.
St John has deployed resources from throughout the country to provide cover for the next few days.
A Christchurch Star reporter saw a dead body lying close at Palazzo Lane near Al Noor Mosque.
The body has been covered with clothing.
A witness has seen a child lying in the middle of Deans Ave and another man has told the Herald his relative was shot inside the mosque.
It is understood the shooting at the mosque lasted six minutes and that the shooter may have returned to his car to retrieve more ammunition before opening fire again.
Nour crawled across the floor of the mosque to a window that had been broken by others as they fled and jumped trough it.
He jumped over a neighbouring wall. He ran around the block and he could still hear shooting.
Mohan Ibrahim described to the Herald running for his life to escape the gunman. He was one of 200 people in Christchurch's Masjid Al Noor mosque when he heard shots being fired.
"At first we thought it was an electric shock but then all these people started running."
Police hold a suspect down on the ground. Photo / Kurt Bayer
He said there had been lots of people killed and many injured.
"I have been calling my friends but there are many I haven't heard from. I am scared for my friends lives."
He said there had been lots of people killed and many injured.
A man who took in people who escaped from the mosque has shared their description of the gunman.
He was white, aged in his 30s or 40s and wearing a uniform, but he had not been able to ascertain what the uniform was, Oakford Close resident Robert Weatherhead said.
"[They said] 'he had a lot of magazines strapped to his legs'," Weatherhead said.
A man who was in Al Noor Mosque during a shooting says it was absolutely full for noon prayers. He believed many have been killed.
Police at the shooting in Christchurch. Photo / Supplied
A woman told the Christchurch Star she lay in her car near the mosque as four to five men came running towards her.
She was unsure if they were gunmen. Moments earlier she heard what she thought was gunfire.
"When the noise got louder I saw four or five men running. I put my seat down and lay down so they wouldn't see me.
"I didn't think I'd live to see this happening in my country," she said.
A young man, who lives near Al Noor Mosque, said he was sleeping when he woke to 20-40 gun shots and a man running into his house with a bullet wound 3 inches into his leg.
The city centre is like a ghost town as police hunt the shooters.
Heavily armed police, including special units, are speeding around the empty streets with lights and sirens wailing.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said her message to people is to stay away from the central city.
Armed police can be seen on central Christchurch streets. Photo / Jacob Savage
"If you are in the city please stay in the building you are in," she said.
"All Council buildings are in lock down and they're urging all central city building owners to do the same, until advised by the Police they can leave."
'I heard at least 20 [gunshots]'
Benjamin Jellie said he ran outside when he heard gunshots.
"I saw people jumping over the back fence of the mosque into Oakward Close. I heard at least 20 [gunshots]."
"I heard about eight at the start and then it went quiet for about 30 seconds or a minute and then it started again. I heard about eight more and then there was another minute and another eight," Jellie said.
"Those coming over the fence, all adults and including at least three men, were screaming and crying."
He believed the injured were all conscious.
The injured were very quiet, Jellie said.
The Bangladesh cricket team was at the mosque for Friday prayer when the shooting started.
