New Delhi: Among the many victims of the deadly mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand during Friday prayers was Hyderabad native Ahmed Iqbal Jahangir. Ahmed was rushed to the hospital and is currently battling for his life.
Forty nine people were killed and more than 20 seriously wounded in the attacks in Christchurch, which New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned as terrorism.
The family of Ahmed, who ran a restaurant in Christchurch, has appealed to the central and the Telangana government to expedite the visa process of his brother, Mohammed Khursheed, so that he can travel to New Zealand and be at the side of his brother as he undergoes treatment.
Khursheed told The News Minute that Ahmed had been living in New Zealand for the past 12 years.
“He went for his Friday prayers. Two of his friends were killed in the attack. My brother himself is struggling for his life. We are not able to get any proper news about what is happening over there. He has a wife and two children; one aged 3 and one aged 5," he said.
Khursheed said that the last time Iqbal visited home was around six to seven months ago. "We didn't expect this at all, that too in a place like New Zealand, which is said to be a safe place with low crime rates. It is very unfortunate and my mother has been inconsolable since she heard the news. We are all afraid," he told the news portal.
Khursheed reached out to Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who reached out to ministry of external affairs and Sushma Swaraj to make necessary arrangements for the Khursheed and his family.
“A video from #ChristChurch shows one Ahmed Jehangir who was shot. His brother Iqbal Jehangir is a resident of Hyderabad & would like to go to NZ for Ahmed’s family,” he tweeted.
On Friday, two mosques in New Zealand were attacked by gunmen who carried out a mass shooting.
A gunman broadcast livestream footage on Facebook of the attack on one mosque in the city of Christchurch, mirroring the carnage played out in video games, after publishing a "manifesto" in which he denounced immigrants, calling them "invaders".
Police said three people were in custody including one man in his late 20s who had been charged with murder. He will appear in court on Saturday.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said 49 people had been killed in total. Health authorites said 48 people were being treated for gunshot wounds, including young children.
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