WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The death toll from the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March rose to 51 on Thursday, when a man wounded during the shooting died in a hospital.
The man, a Turkish national, had been in intensive care in Christchurch Hospital since the shooting on March 15, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand said in a statement.
His name was not released by Ms. Ardern or the police. Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, identified him on Twitter, writing, “Unfortunately we have lost our citizen Zekeriya Tuyan, who was injured seriously in the treacherous terrorist attack in New Zealand.”
The man, the last person still in intensive care following the attack seven weeks ago, was one of three Turkish citizens who were shot. Nine people remain in hospitals in stable condition, Ms. Ardern said.
Dozens more were injured in the attacks.
An Australian man accused of carrying out the massacre at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques — an attack partially broadcast live on Facebook — faces 50 counts of murder and 39 charges of attempted murder. The suspect, Brenton H. Tarrant, who has not entered a plea to the charges, is scheduled to appear in court in June.
The police did not immediately update the charges after the man’s death on Thursday.
All those present during the mosque attacks, including those without physical injuries, and the immediate families of the victims and survivors have been offered permanent residence in New Zealand.
Source : Nytimes
