Inside the painful wait to bury loved ones killed in Christchurch mosque attacks

Three days on the waiting game continues for families of the Christchurch victims who still don’t know exactly when they will be able to lay their loved ones to rest.

A fenced off area at the Memorial Park Cemetery is now teaming with heavily armed police carrying out security sweeps of the gravesite.

Inside piles of dirt have been dug up to make room for 50 graves.

A mass burial will be held on Wednesday with up to 46 victims. But there’s a few families who are hoping to say goodbye today.

Some will be repatriated to their home countries including Fiji and Pakistan.

Victims’ bodies started being released to their families last night but they remain at Christchurch hospital.

A special room has been allocated for the traditional Muslim custom of washing the body.

This would normally take place at the mosque but both Al Noor and Linwood are still closed.

Space has also become an issue. It’s normally a very private ceremony. But because there’s so many victims, they’re being forced to wash them four at a time.

For families, the wait is frustrating. Islamic law requires them to bury the dead as soon as possible.

But they also understand police have a job to do and they need to be thorough in order to bring the person responsible to justice.