A former Labasa man yesterday revealed how he hid under dead bodies dripping with blood to stay alive in the Christchurch mosque shooting. Shamir Khan, 25 and three other men from his family, were at the Al Noor Mosque, one of the two mosques attacked by gunmen.

The other one was Linwood Mosque.

While the final casualty figures had not been confirmed when this edition went to press, New Zealand Police confirmed there were 49 people dead and multiple numbers in hospital with critical injuries.

Mr Khan, a father-of-two, said he was lucky to have survived.

“I laid down under four people, praying that I am not shot,” Mr Khan said.

He said his thoughts were on his wife, Ruksaar, and their two daughters.

Shamir Khan showing part of the scene outside the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch after the shooting on March 15, 2019.

“It happened too quickly. As I was lying down under some people who were shot dead.

I held my breath so not to alert the shooter that I was alive. It happened around 1.40pm and we were at the masjid praying during Jummah.

“I only heard sounds like fireworks going off, smoke filled the room and people started running. Blood was everywhere and there was chaos,” he said.

Mr Khan’s brother-in-law, who Mr Khan did not wish to name without his permission, “was shot”.

Mr Khan also confirmed that his brother-in-law was in stable condition.

They have lived in New Zealand for the past 15 years.

Many people from Pakistan, Sudan, Fiji and other countries who call

Christchurch their home, were praying at the mosque at the time of the attack.

The Al Noor Mosque was attacked first. More Fijians were at the Linwood Mosque.

However, more than 400 people were at the Al Noor Majid Mosque in Christchurch at the time of the shooting.

Former Labasa man Shamir Khan (pictured here with wife Ruksaar) was one of the survivors of the deadly shootings that took place at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019. Photo: Shamir Khan / Facebook

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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