Christchurch Terror Attacks: Preparations underway to begin burials for the victims

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Preparations are underway in Christchurch to begin burials for the victims of last week's Mosque attacks. Greg Navarro has more from Christchurch.

A line of vehicles slowly filtered into a centre in Christchurch Tuesday. Others made their way by foot, all heading to a place created to offer support to the families of victims and members of the community struggling in the aftermath of last week's shootings.

RIAZ SHAH ISLAMIC ORGANISATION AUCKLAND "People do have a lot of questions and some people are frustrated because the judicial process is going to take a lot of time for the bodies to be released, so the police and the coroners are working together to make sure everything is being done properly."

The frustration for many families comes from the need under Islamic laws to bury their loved ones as quickly as possible.

RIAZ SHAH ISLAMIC ORGANISATION AUCKLAND "As soon as someone is deceased, literally within hours, 12 hours we need to bury them, but because under these circumstances the way it is being done, it is a bit difficult to do that."

Because authorities need to determine how each of the 50 people died, to build a legal case against the suspected gunman.

MIKE BUSH NEW ZEALAND POLICE COMMISSIONER "This criminal investigation is the largest one ever undertaken by the New Zealand police."

On Friday, police say 28-year old Brenton Tarrant allegedly entered 2 Christchurch mosques and opened fire.

Farid Ahmed escaped the gunfire, his wife did not. He recalled the moment he had to break the news to his daughter.

FARID AHMED SHOOTING SURVIVOR "She (daughter) said are you telling me I don't have a mother, I said yes. But I'm your mother now, I'm your father now."

GREG NAVARRO CHRISTCHURCH "We are also learning more about the emergency workers who were among the first to respond to the shootings, what they encountered, and the impact it's had on them."

PAUL BENNETT AMBULANCE OFFICER "We tried to get our stretcher into the mosque but we couldn't because there were fatalities in the way. We ended up having to lift the bodies over the top of other bodies."

While vigils and tributes continue around the city, preparations are being made to bury the dead.

RIAZ SHAH ISLAMIC ORGANISATION AUCKLAND "Once the body is buried that is the relief for the families, they have seen the body, it has been done in a traditional Islamic way."

And they can begin the process of grieving the loss of their loved ones. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Christchurch.