Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that two Indonesian nationals were among those injured at today’s horrific mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, an act of terror New Zealand officials says has now claimed the lives of at least 49 people and seriously injured 20 more.
“Two Indonesian citizens were among those injured. The father and the injured child are currently being treated at Christchurch Hospital. He is in the ICU and is in critical condition, while his son is receiving standard care,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said in a statement picked up by state-run news agency Antara.
According to Arrmanatha, the two Indonesians had just moved to Christchurch a few months ago.
Previously, the Foreign Ministry had said that six Indonesian citizens had been at the Al Noor Mosque when the shooter attacked. Three had been confirmed safe while the whereabouts of the other three were being sought out.
According to Arrmanatha, the two Indonesian citizens who were shot are not part of the same group of six that they had referred to earlier and the condition of the other three Indonesians was still unknown.
According to the Foreign Ministry’s data, there are currently 330 Indonesians in Christchurch, 130 of whom are students.
In Jakarta, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed that Indonesia strongly condemned the shooting. Through a statement, the foreign minister also expressed condolences to all the victims and their families.
The attack on two crowded mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers left at least 49 people dead, New Zealand police said, on what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.
Witnesses spoke of seeing bloodied bodies, with children also believed to be among the dead, and police warned of “extremely distressing footage” of the incident circulating on the internet.
Police say four people — three men and a woman — have been taken into custody, and that they had found and neutralized a number of IEDS (improvised explosive devices). One of the men has already been charged with murder.
Additional reporting by AFP
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