The man accused of carrying out gun attacks on two mosques in Christchurch will face 50 charges of murder and 39 of attempted murder.

Until now Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, had been facing just one count of murder following the 15 March shootings, the worst mass shooting by a lone gunman in New Zealand's history.

"Other charges are still under consideration," police said in a statement. Tarrant is due to appear in court via video link on Friday.

The shootings at the al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre shocked a nation generally regarded as one of the safest in the world.

Tens of thousands of people gathered at memorial services around the country to remember the victims, the youngest just three years old, the eldest 71.


The massacre also prompted the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern to order a radical overhaul of the country's gun laws, including an effective ban on assault weapons and semi-automatic rifles.