this is the briefing. i'm victoria fritz. our top story: police in new zealand say four people have been taken into custody in the city of christchurch following gun attacks on two mosques. there was screaming and crying and i saw some people drop dead. new zealand police say there have been "multiple fatalities" following what they described as a "tragic series of events" in the canterbury region on friday. the prime minister spoke a short time ago about the gravity of the situation. what i can say is that it is clear that this is one of new zealand's darkest days.

a warm welcome to the programme — we'll tell you all the latest from the terrible scenes in new zealand as police say the situation is still ongoing. police in the city of christchurch in new zealand say there are multiple fatalities after shootings at two mosques, where hundreds of people had gathered for friday prayers. police say they have four suspects in custody — three men and one woman. people across christchurch are being asked to stay indoors, as the city is in lockdown. the new zealand prime minister jacinta arden said it was an extreme —— the new zealand prime minister jacinda arden said it was an extreme

and unprecedented act of violence. ramzan karmali has the latest emergency vehicles rushing the injured to hospital after gunmen entered the al noor mosque in christchurch and opened fire. about 300 people were in attendance for the traditional friday prayers. a senior member of the congregation described the horrific scene. i saw that some people were running out to my, through my room where i was in and also, i saw some people had blood on their body and some people were limping. at that moment, i realise that it was a really serious. there are reports that the gunman was firing continuously for at least ten minutes. another mosque in the city also came under attack and police say that several other people have also been apprehended. new zealand's prime minister expressed shock. what i can say is that it is clear that this is one of new zealand's darkest days. clearly, it is an extraordinary

and unprecedented act of violence. local canterbury police have not confirmed numbers, but have said that there have been fatalities and injuries in more than one location. in an unprecedented action, they have also asked for all mosques throughout the country to close their doors. and currently, the whole of christchurch is in lockdown. let's speak to our correspondent hywel griffith. he is in sydney for it. mentioned the situation is still ongoing and the situation is still ongoing and the city is in lockdown. one glimpse of good news that have come from the police in the last few minutes, they have said that schools in the city of christchurch are now no longer in lockdown. students made to stay hours after the end of the day on friday afternoon and parents clearly

worried about the risk that there could be another potentially armed person on the loose so police have sent out a message in the last five minutes saying that the lockdown has been lifted on schools that they reiterate there is a very, very heavy police presence across the city to try and ensure the safety of people. it has been an incredibly distressing daily for everybody in christchurch. many children had been on the streets hours earlier because ofa on the streets hours earlier because of a protest on climate change. on the streets hours earlier because of a protest on climate changem was one of the many cities across new zealand, across the world, where it there were climate protest is planned today by schoolchildren. and that would have happened before the shooting began. it may have led to children not being where their pa rents children not being where their parents thought that they may be. there has been a lot of frantic communication between schools, pa rents communication between schools, parents and the police helping to mediate to try and make sure eve ryo ne mediate to try and make sure everyone is safe. the one bit of good news is that the lockdown has

been lifted. that suggest that the police believe, maybe, that there is no longer an active direct threat to people on the streets. however, as we heard in the report there is an unprecedented measure to tell all the mosques across new zealand, not just price chose nor the south island, across the country, to close their doors in fear of another orchestrated attack or copycat attack. knowing that there are four people apprehended it is clear that an element of planning has gone into this attack. the fear may be that there could be someone in that city oi’ there could be someone in that city or elsewhere in new zealand also involved. new zealand's police commissioner, mike bush, says there are four people in custody. i want to start by saying we are currently dealing with an unprecedented situation in new zealand. it is very grave, very serious. we have dealt with an

active shooter situation. we have multiple fatalities at this point i cannot say how many but it is significant. they occurred in two locations, to mosques in christchurch. one at denes avenue and the other at linea avenue. police have those locations lockdown. —— lynwood avenue. we have four people in custody. we are unaware of other people but we cannot assume there are not others at large. we have a number of schools in lockdown. we are currently making sure we have enough staff to saturate the area with enough equipment to ensure that when we release that lockdown people can get home safely. we are in the process of that and it will happen very shortly. we are pouring resources into that area, every

available canterbury and staff member and people nearby, other emergency services also, are saturating that area with visibility to ensure that everyone who needs to get home can do so safely. we are also setting up a facility, as we must, because this is absolutely tragic, there will be so many people affected, so the people can get more information. there will be worried about their loved ones. we do not have the identities of those people who have died as of yet because those locations are still in lockdown. but we want to make sure we set up a facility where people can phone in and get the information they need. that is an absolute priority. people are doing that at the moment. as you can imagine, this is requiring every police and emergency resource that we have available. we have defence force aircraft here in wellington ready to

fly more resources into the area. we will do that from other locations nearby as well. i want to assure the public were doing everything we can to make sure there is no more harm to make sure there is no more harm to their communities. the prime minister, jacinda ardern, is on her way to the city to talk with the emergency services. but before she left new plymouth she spoke to reporters about what she knew of the situation presently the police do have one suspect in custody. however there could be others involved. also there are multiple scenes involved in this incident as well. and police will be giving more details that they can as the situation unfolds. while i cannot give any confirmation at this stage around fatalities and casualties, what i can say is that it is clear that this is one of new

zealand's darkest days. clearly what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence. many of those who would have been directly affected by the shooting may be migrants to new zealand. they may even be refugees here. they have chosen to make new zealand their home and it is their home. they are ras. the person who has perpetuated this violence against this is not. —— they are asked. they have no place in new zealand. there is no place in new zealand. there is no place in new zealand for such act of extreme and unprecedented violence which it is clear this act was. for now my thoughts and i'm sure the thought of all new zealanders with those who have been affected with their families. my thoughts also to those in christchurch who are still dealing with an unfolding situation.

the advice from police continues to be that people remain indoors. i acknowledge that that may mean some families are separated but please continue to listen out for information as it comes to light that has been directly provided by the new zealand police with further information. as i say, please remain in lockdown. were potentially still dealing with an evolving situation and again, as i say, across multiple sites. please be assured that police are actively managing the situation. christchurch hospital is dedicated to treating those who are arriving at the hospital as we speak. we can go live now to wellington and speak to the president of the international muslim association of new zealand. the prime minister there was very quick to try and reassure the country and the

community, the muslim community in new zealand how those comments being taken in the community?” new zealand how those comments being taken in the community? i absolutely agreed with the prime minister. as she mentioned earlier, an incident like this in new zealand history, the prime minister assured that our communities would be well looked after. i am communities would be well looked after. iam right communities would be well looked after. i am right now speaking with you in the police headquarters and we are having a meeting and we have full support from all agencies to assist us in any way they can. so we are quite grateful. what are you hearing? you say you are in police headquarters. what are they briefing you want at this stage? we are working on a plan. in wellington at the moment so we are working out how

to make sure of the safety of our community for everyone. exactly. at the moment there is advice that there should be a nationwide closure of all mosques. yes. that is absolutely correct. in wellington region all our mosques have been closed. that is confirmed. similarly in other regions they have been closed down as well and as well as in christchurch. other regions depends on the management and i do not have any more information at the moment. at this stage there are fears that there could be copycat killings as a result of some of the footage that was available on social media. that we, for very good reasons, are not showing here on the bbc. there must be widespread fear within the community. the theory is

there. this is a complete shock for there. this is a complete shock for the community, the muslim community here and all kiwis in general because we are not that sort of country where we have shootings like this. this is something very uncommon. quite uncommon indeed. as the prime minister alluded to their there is no culture of a gun culture, shall we say, in new zealand and she was quite quick to point out that the community of migrants involved potentially in these two different attacks, these two shootings and potentially also even refugees who have come to new zealand for safe harbour. they are asked, she said. she said the shooter is not one of us. —— they

are us. shooter is not one of us. —— they are us. migrants are treated as local people and there is no difference. but an incident like this means there will be concern within the community, a feeling of being an safe. i am very glad that the new zealand government is speaking up and taking good steps and they are supporting and they are making sure that we are safe we will leave it there for the moment. thank you very much. members of the bangladesh cricket

tea m members of the bangladesh cricket team were about to enter the mosque for prayers when the shooting happened. they are all safe. they we re happened. they are all safe. they were there for a test match which has now been cancelled. let's get more from our correspondent in dhaka, akbar hossain. at this stage we should state that they are safe but obviously extremely shocked by what happened. no doubt about it. it is quite shocking for many bangladeshis because when the news broke out early in the morning that an attack took place inside a mosque in new zealand, many bangladeshis were searching for news about what happened to the cricket team. some local media reported that the cricket team survived the attack on the news we got from new zealand and some journalists covering the match against new zealand they were

telling us that they were in a practice session nearby in a stadium which is not far from the practice session nearby in a stadium which is not farfrom the mosque where the attack took place. and after the practice session was going on they were going to head to friday prayers. they had boarded the bus and were close to the mosque, about to enter the mosque and a lady warned them to not go there because the government took control of the mosque and an attack was going on. they then fled from the seemed. they advise them immediately afterwards. —— advised them. they we re afterwards. —— advised them. they were taken to a hotel safely. the bangladesh cricket team board have issued a statement saying that all players are safe stop there is no

injury. but the pictures we saw on social media, the bangladeshi cricketers, they were completely devastated, frightened by the situation. one of them tweeted that he was very frightened by the scenario, what he saw in christchurch. and he was actually asking all bangladeshis to pray for them. because this kind of attack inside a mosque is completely unheard of in bangladesh for many bangladeshis. it has been cancelled, tomorrow. but there is an event. indistinct. i am afraid we are going

to have to leave it there. i think we have lost the line. very much confirming that the bangladesh cricket team were about to enter the mosque. they are all safe. very shocked, he was saying. but the test match comedy third test match against new zealand has now been cancelled. a senior member of the mosque was in the building at the time of the shooting. he has been speaking to a journalist near the scene outside the police cordon. a warning to viewers, he describes upsetting scenes. i was inside the mosque. i was in the side room. and the iman had started the sermon. so everyone was settled. it was very peaceful,, calm, and required. as it usually is. when the iman starts talking.

then suddenly the shooting started. it started in the main room, because the shooter must have come through the shooter must have come through the hallway. and i was in the side room. so i did not see who was shooting. but i saw that some people we re shooting. but i saw that some people were running out through my room where i was in. and also i saw some people had blood on their body and some people were limping. and at that moment, you know, i realised that moment, you know, i realised that it was really serious. and a couple of people said to me to get out now. so i tried to get out. and i pushed myself in the back where my car was parked. and i was behind the car. and then from there i was hearing shooting after shooting up the shooting. it went on about six

minutes or more. i could hear screaming and crying. i saw some people were, you know, dropped dead. and some people were running away. i could not go anywhere. and also i did not want to because i was afraid what had happened to the ladies, what had happened to the ladies, what would happen to my wife. i stayed there, but luckily the shooter finished stayed there, but luckily the shooterfinished inside stayed there, but luckily the shooter finished inside the mosque and he did not come in the back. another man who was in the mosque at the time of the shooting says he saw one of the gunmen. i heard the firing. it was from the main entrance. the main entrance of the building. and then everybody ran to the back doors to save themselves. and first we had behind

themselves. and first we had behind the cars and under the cars, and then when we saw that the firing was still on we tried to jump the fence. then we hit in the house next to the mosque, on this side. and the firing goes on and on, you know. one person we saw with a bullet in her arm. and when the firing stopped i looked over the fence. there was one day changing the gun and taking another one. because he parked on this side, driving next to the mosque house. and then he took the gun and the firing started again. the prime minister is now on her way to the city to talk with emergency services. but before she left new plymouth she spoke to reporters about what she knew of the situation. presently the police do

have one suspect in custody. however, there could be others involved. also there are multiple scenes involved in this incident as well. and police will be giving more details as they can, as the situation unfolds. while i cannot give any confirmation at this stage around fatalities and casualties, what i can say is that it is clear that this is one of new zealand's darkest days. clearly what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence. many of those who will have been directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to new zealand, they may even be refugees here. they have chosen to make new zealand their home and it is their home. they are asks. the person who

has perpetuated this violence against us is not. they have no place in new zealand. there is no place in new zealand. there is no place in new zealand. there is no place in new zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence, which it is clear this act was. for now my thoughts and i am sure the thoughts of all new zealanders are with those who have been affected and also with their families. my thoughts also to those in christchurch, who are still dealing with an unfolding situation. the advice from police continues to be the people remain indoors. i acknowledge that that may mean that some families are separated, but please continue to listen out for information as it comes to light that's been directly provided by the new zealand police with further information. but as i say, please remain in lockdown. we are potentially still dealing with an evolving situation. and again, as i say, across multiple sites. please be assured, though, the police are actively managing the situation.

christchurch hospital is dedicated to treating those who are arriving at the hospital as we speak as well. let us go back to dachau. you are telling us about the situation with the bangladesh cricket team. that they are all safe, very shocked. you are going to tell us the next development and the line it broke a little. yes. the test has been cancelled which was due to be held tomorrow. and the bangladeshi players will come back to bangladesh as soon players will come back to bangladesh as soon as possible, maybe today or maybe tomorrow. they are safe until now. there is a thought from one of the bangladeshi journalist, he said the bangladeshi journalist, he said the bangladeshi journalist, he said the bangladesh cricket team held a press co nfe re nce the bangladesh cricket team held a press conference inside the stadium premises, that is why the cricketers

we re premises, that is why the cricketers were ten minutes late before entering the mosque. if the press conference was not held at that time then the players would have been in then the players would have been in the mosque at the time and they may have been a victim of the gun attack inside the mosque. some journalists are saying that a press conference, ten minutes, delayed theirjourney to the mosque ten minutes, that actually save them. so a very situation does make frightening situation does make frightening situation for the bangladeshi cricketers. i was actually, following reactions on social media, where many people are saying how come such a deadly terror attack took place in a country like new zealand, which is completely unheard of? and they were actually asking the bangladesh cricket board to return the players immediately. as we know, bangladesh is a predominantly muslim majority country. all the players in bangladesh cricket team except one or two are muslims. wherever they go

for cricket, england, new zealand, south africa, india, if it is friday they go for prayers. this is a very religious thing for them. that's by they actually... indistinct. ok. i think we are going to have to leave him again. talking to us from dhaka about the situation with the bangladesh cricket team who just escaped after shots were fired at a christchurch mosque. we're talking about the al noor mosque. police confirming that there have been multiple fatalities. there is a lot more on this story on the website. we can go to leslie darryl who can talk to us a little more about the situation that we believe are still unfolding. we understand at this

stage there are four suspects in custody. three men and one woman. yes. and police say the situation remains fluid. they have not definitely confirmed that this is over and they are still treating it as an active shooting situation. they have confirmed they have been two shootings are two mosques in christchurch. both those mosques remain in lockdown. they have confirmed a number of fatalities. we understand it could be as many as 27. although i stress that is unconfirmed. and, again, a large number of casualties, wounded, perhaps as many as 50, some of them children. they are speaking to the four people they have arrested, three men and one woman. they are still telling christchurch people to stay inside and keep safe. and they

have got every single police resource in christchurch working on this. one thing that came out from the press conference with the police commissioner is that there were also ieds, improvised explosive devices attached to vehicles that have been made safe by the defence force. exactly. and obviously this is linked to those shootings. and they have also told mosques throughout new zealand to take extra precautions. as they say, they really do not know the full details behind this at the moment. they have asked all mosques to actually shut their doors and advise people not to visit until further notice. at this stage they are not calling it a terror attack. it certainly looks that way. one of the shooters posted a video online of him shooting. that

has been removed by police. it is a very disturbing, terrible video. the other thing we believe is that one of the shooters is from australia and posted his intentions on facebook. as you say there is, or at least was a 17 minute live streaming, we understand, on social media of this attack. the police, as you say, have removed that footage. we on the bbc will not be showing it. but there does appear to be an extraordinary co—ordinated element to this attack. this was sophisticated and, certainly, we understand that there were messages scrawled in white writing across the ammunition, across the guns, for example, and the ied element of this. this was no lone shooter, no lone wolf. it does appear that way. police have four in custody. they are stressing that this is still a very fluid situation. as you say. we

understand from our reporter in syd ney understand from our reporter in sydney that these schools are now not on lockdown. schoolchildren have been able to be returned to their homes. this was a day of protest across christchurch. absolutely, so it wasjust absolutely, so it was just after midday that a crowd of several hundred children gathered to protest climate change and urged politicians to do more about it and it was less than an hour later that the first shooting took place. the children on the protest were all told to go home and stay home, it does appear that none of them are caught up in this event. at other school students who we re event. at other school students who were still in class were, all the schools were put into lockdown and pa rents schools were put into lockdown and parents have only just schools were put into lockdown and parents have onlyjust been able to go and pick them up. —— but. parents have onlyjust been able to go and pick them up. -- but. yes, and at this stage there is some confusion about who may or