# Lack of egress for mosque in New Zealand?



## sunnydisposition (Mar 18, 2019)

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.)


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## JCraver (Mar 18, 2019)

Welcome, glad you joined us.

Interesting take, but this isn't/wasn't a building code issue.  The building might not be a "safe" place per the IBC, but this was not a natural disaster/fire kind of situation.


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## tmurray (Mar 18, 2019)

They use the New Zealand Building Code: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1992/0150/latest/DLM162576.html


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## cda (Mar 18, 2019)

Can you post the link to the floor plan


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## jar546 (Mar 18, 2019)

JCraver said:


> Welcome, glad you joined us.
> 
> Interesting take, but this isn't/wasn't a building code issue.  The building might not be a "safe" place per the IBC, but this was not a natural disaster/fire kind of situation.



Interesting take, yes.  Would the current layout meet the requirements of the IBC?  That is a question to ask.  We think of fire safety and in this case the goal is to get out safely regardless of the situation.


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## cda (Mar 18, 2019)

Check out this exit situation I got stuck in.

First time there and made the mistake of not finding all the exits

And there is another half of the place, that was said to look the same

Luckily no one yelled free food


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## Msradell (Mar 18, 2019)

cda said:


> Check out this exit situation I got stuck in.
> 
> First time there and made the mistake of not finding all the exits
> 
> ...


Where Is This?


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## cda (Mar 18, 2019)

Ford star center Frisco Texas





*Ford Center at The Star*
https://yelp.to/qTKq/tGWHfGiRaV


http://thestarinfrisco.com/ford-center


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## cda (Mar 18, 2019)

Just a few people stuffed on the floor


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## steveray (Mar 19, 2019)

JCraver said:


> Welcome, glad you joined us.
> 
> Interesting take, but this isn't/wasn't a building code issue......   this was not a natural disaster/fire kind of situation.



There was firing......Egress is egress in ALL life safety situations...


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## Rick18071 (Mar 19, 2019)

Just scanding New Zealand Building Code, it is very vague with no requirements for the number of exits.


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## cda (Mar 19, 2019)

steveray said:


> There was firing......Egress is egress in ALL life safety situations...



Yep

People start running for no reason, creating a panic.

In the pictures I posted, there were a few people trying hard to get out,   They were claustrophobic


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## ADAguy (Mar 28, 2019)

Until events such as this happens, only then are codes changed.


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## mtlogcabin (Mar 28, 2019)

I watched this documentary over the weekend about a mass shooting in 1984 at a McDonald's in Southern California what caught my attention was an employee who  survived stated they tried to get out the rear door in the kitchen but could not because it was locked to prevent the stealing of food.
https://tubitv.com/movies/357456/77_minutes


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