sunnydisposition
Registered User
The Wall Street Journal published the floor plan of the mosque in New Zealand where the massacre took place this week, and it showed large worship rooms with only one egress, leading to the main hallway down which the shooter walked killing people who could not escape. Unfortunately, the online version of the same story doesn't show the floor plan so I cannot link to it. But here are some quotes from the article which help explain the conditions:
"A heavily armed shooter blocked the main way out for all of them—a long corridor at the front. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the rear were crossed with iron bars for security."
“People were breaking the windows, trying to pull off the bars and trying to get out as bodies piled up all around them,” Mr. Asif said. “There were people lying on the ground, with their skulls shot open or shot between the eyes. People were in a panic, just trying to save their lives. People had no time to think about which way to run.”
"Emerging accounts of the deadliest massacre in New Zealand’s history, which left 50 people dead in two mosques, suggest the suspected gunman was able to dramatically increase the body count by trapping victims in areas with few exits, especially in the Al Noor prayer room."
Based on the diagram there is only one building exit, despite what the reporter says about there being few exits or that the shooter blocked the main way. Very roughly I have estimated based on the diagram that the building is about 3000-6000sf.
It occurs to me that the one egress is insufficient, and assuming that New Zealand using the IBC, then the mosque has not complied with it, which could be also a failure of the Christchurch building officials to ensure that a place of assembly has complied.
If I am correct, I bemoan the lack of a voice for responsible building code adherence who could call attention to this matter in the media and which may help prevent or reduce other such disasters. (Or maybe there is such a voice but the media doesn't hear it.)
"A heavily armed shooter blocked the main way out for all of them—a long corridor at the front. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the rear were crossed with iron bars for security."
“People were breaking the windows, trying to pull off the bars and trying to get out as bodies piled up all around them,” Mr. Asif said. “There were people lying on the ground, with their skulls shot open or shot between the eyes. People were in a panic, just trying to save their lives. People had no time to think about which way to run.”
"Emerging accounts of the deadliest massacre in New Zealand’s history, which left 50 people dead in two mosques, suggest the suspected gunman was able to dramatically increase the body count by trapping victims in areas with few exits, especially in the Al Noor prayer room."
Based on the diagram there is only one building exit, despite what the reporter says about there being few exits or that the shooter blocked the main way. Very roughly I have estimated based on the diagram that the building is about 3000-6000sf.
It occurs to me that the one egress is insufficient, and assuming that New Zealand using the IBC, then the mosque has not complied with it, which could be also a failure of the Christchurch building officials to ensure that a place of assembly has complied.
If I am correct, I bemoan the lack of a voice for responsible building code adherence who could call attention to this matter in the media and which may help prevent or reduce other such disasters. (Or maybe there is such a voice but the media doesn't hear it.)
