Christchurch residents have paid tribute to victims of the mosque attacks as families waited for authorities to release the bodies for burials on Sunday.

The death toll in the New Zealand mosque shootings rose to 50 after police found another body in one of the mosques.

An overwhelmed hospital was forced to delay surgeries as it struggled to cope with the sheer number of wounded.

Thirty-four people were still in Christchurch Hospital with 12 in critical condition and one child was moved to a dedicated children’s hospital in Auckland.

As Christchurch’s Muslim community reels from the devastating attack, city officials ordered digging of graves for the victims of the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s modern history.

New Zealanders have responded to the attacks with an outpouring of interfaith solidarity – crowdfunding millions of dollars, donating halal food and even offering to accompany local Muslims now scared to walk the streets.