SRINAGAR: Ten people were killed and about a dozen others injured when gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, Australian officials said, according to Reuters.
Eyewitnesses told ABC News that around 50 gunshots were heard during the attack, which occurred roughly two hours earlier. Police said one of the attackers was killed in retaliatory firing, while about 11 people, including police personnel, were wounded.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the scenes at Bondi as “shocking and distressing”. In a statement carried by The Guardian, he said police and emergency services were on the ground working to save lives and that he had spoken with the Australian Federal Police Commissioner and the New South Wales Premier. He added that authorities were closely coordinating their response and that further updates would be issued as information was confirmed, urging people in the area to follow directions from NSW Police.
At around 2.17 pm IST (7.47 pm local time), New South Wales Police said in a post on X that they were responding to a “developing incident” at Bondi Beach and advised anyone at the scene to take shelter. In a later update, police confirmed that 10 people had died, including a man believed to be one of the shooters, while the second suspected gunman was in critical condition.
The shooting occurred on the opening night of the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the gunfire began shortly after 6.30 pm local time, when hundreds of people had gathered on the beach for a seaside event marking the start of the festival.
One attendee told local media that the attackers fired indiscriminately, targeting children and elderly people. Footage from the scene showed bystanders attempting to perform CPR on the injured.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Australia was in deep mourning after what she described as hateful violence struck an iconic location, CNN reported. She said the loss of life was significant and echoed the Prime Minister’s appeal for Australians to follow official advice from police and relevant authorities, adding that a celebration of peace and hope had been shattered by hatred.
Authorities have termed the situation a “developing incident” and continue to urge residents and visitors to avoid Bondi Beach and nearby areas as investigations continue.
