Christchurch massacre: Mum of victim dies of ‘broken heart’

The pain of losing her son in the Christchurch mosque massacre was too much to bear for the mother of one victim.

The mother of a Christchurch mosque massacre victim died of a heart attack after her son’s funeral, it was reported.

Kamel Darwish, 38, was killed at the Al Noor mosque when a lone attacker opened fire during Friday prayers on March 15.

Fifty people were killed when the gunman open fire at the Al Noor and Linwood Masjid mosques.

The dad-of-three dairy farm worker came to New Zealand to join his older brother about six months ago and was waiting for his wife and children to join them.

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The mother of Kamal Darwish, one of the 50 lives taken in New Zealand, passed away from a heart attack. Picture: Instagram

His funeral was held on Friday but the family was hit by a double tragedy when his mother, Saud Abdelfattah Mhaisen Adwan died within hours, The Sun reports.

The 65-year-old suffered a heart attack, the Jordanian Embassy in Australia confirmed to the New Zealand Herald.

Family friend Yaser Mohammad said: “She came yesterday to attend the funeral.

“Apparently this morning she passed away because she couldn’t put up with the sorrow and sadness of losing her son.

“They are arranging to take the coffin back to Jordan”.

According to Stuff she already suffered from a heart condition and was too upset to attend her son’s funeral.

A young man is given support during a mass prayer that took place opposite the Al Noor Mosque, in Christchurch. Picture: Gary Ramage

She went to bed with a sore stomach was found dead when her family checked on her the following day.

Her 33-year-old nephew Adwan said he believed the gunman was responsible for her death.

“She just didn’t wake up. We feel like the main reason for her death is sadness. It’s extremely sad. She was a very lovely, easy going person.”

Mr Darwish’s older brother, Zuhair, has lived in New Zealand since 2007, and had convinced him to move to the country because he believed it was a safer place to raise his family.

His wife Rana and their children, aged two, six and eight, have applied for a visa to immigrate to New Zealand.

Kamel Darwish, 38, only moved to New Zealand six months ago from Palestine. Picture: Instagram

Several Jordanians died in the shootings and the country’s Crown Prince El Hassan Bin Talal laid flowers at the Masjid Al Noor on Saturday after it was handed back to the Muslim community.

Adwan is one of several relatives of those shot in the massacre to suffer heart attacks in the following days.

Mohsin Al-Harbi survived the initial attack, only to die in hospital.

The Saudi-born man’s wife Manal was so distressed as she searched for him that she collapsed with a heart attack and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Mourners carry the body of a victim of the March 15 mosque shootings for a burial at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Christchurch, New Zealand. Picture: AP

Sazada Akhter was seriously injured after being shot twice at Al Noor and her mother was taken to hospital in Bangladesh after having a heart attack when she found out.

Meanwhile Mohamed Elmi, 49, was killed in a crash while returning from helping relatives affected by the Christchurch terror attacks.

Australian Brenton Tarrant has been charged with one murder following the Christchurch attack and was remanded without a plea.

This story has been reproduced from The Sun with permission.

Originally published as Christchurch massacre: Mum of victim dies of ‘broken heart’