Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi stated that six Indonesian citizens were inside the mosque when the shootings occurred. Three of them survived the shootings, while three others remain unaccounted for.
Following the terrorist attacks, all Indonesians living in Christchurch and other cities in New Zealand have been advised to remain cautious and to maintain vigil. According to the Foreign Ministry, of the 331 Indonesians in Christchurch, 134 are students.
Marsudi confirmed that the Foreign Ministry's officials had continued to coordinate with their colleagues at the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington to gain confirmation on the real condition of the three unaccounted Indonesians in the aftermath of the assaults.
"I have continued to keep in touch with our ambassador in Wellington to know the condition of our three citizens," she remarked, adding that the Indonesian Embassy had also dispatched its team to Christchurch, which is some 440 kilometers away from Wellington.
The team members will coordinate with the New Zealand security authorities, hospitals, and the Indonesian Students Association (PPI) in Christchurch, she remarked.
Indonesian families seeking detailed information and consular assistance can contact hotline numbers -- +64211950980 and +64 22 3812 065 -- provided by the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city.
The Guardian reported that 40 were killed and 20 injured in these shootings at two mosques in Christchurch.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the incidents, occurring when Muslims were performing their Friday prayers at the mosques, as "one of New Zealand's darkest days," it reported.
According to The Guardian, the New Zealand police also uncovered multiple explosive devices attached to cars, and Commissioner Mike Bush urged all mosques across the country to close their doors for the time being.
Four people are in custody – three men and one woman – after the shootings, which Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a "rightwing extremist attack." One suspect was Australian-born, he was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
Reporting by Yuni Arisandy Sinaga, Rahmad Nasution
Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
