'It doesn't open': NZ mosque attack survivors describe terror at door
Alayedy and other survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.
Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped. Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.
Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a "Building Warrant of Fitness." Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers.
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