Accused gunman appears in Christchurch courts as hearses remove bodies from the scene.
Young children are among the dead and injured in a massacre across two Christchurch mosques, which has been classed a terrorist attack by the Prime Minister.
Forty-nine people have died and 42 of the 48 injured are being treated in hospital.
Two patients are critically injured - including a 4-year-oldchild, who is being transferred to Starship Hospital this morning.
Radio New Zealand is reporting the dead include a 5-year-old girl and her father, who were chased by the gunman and shot.
There is a possibility the death toll could rise, as some patients in Christchurch hospital are critically injured.
Four people - three men and a woman - were initially arrested after the incident.
Ambulance staff take a man from outside a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo / AP, Mark Baker
A 28-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court this morning, facing a murder charge.
The main shooter has been identified by Australian police as Brenton Tarrant — a white, 28-year-old Australian-born man, who uploaded to his Twitter account before the shooting a manifesto explaining his intentions.
Two of the three other people apprehended yesterday remain in custody.
The fourth person was found armed at the scene but didn't appear to have had anything to do with the killings.
Police were still "working to understand" what involvement the other two, who were also armed, had in the shootings.
A large police presence remains in Christchurch, and a heightened police presence can be expected at community events nationwide for safety and reassurance.
Dozens more officers will be sent into the region today, and the Police Eagle Helicopter has been deployed to Christchurch to assist with inquiries on the ground.
Wally Haumaha, the Deputy Commissioner of Maori and Ethnic Services, has travelled to Christchurch with 15 ethnic liaison officers.
"These specialists will work alongside local staff to support the families and help repatriate them with their loved ones in a way that is consistent with Muslim beliefs, while taking into account these circumstances and obligations to the coroner," Bush said.
