News: Tragedy in Australia, Eight children found dead!

Tragedy in Australia

Eight children have been found dead at a house in Cairns
in northern Queensland, say Australian police.

Police said a 34-year-old woman who was the mother of at
least seven of the children had been taken to hospital with
stab wounds but was stable.
Police have not confirmed Australian reports that the
children, aged between 18 months and 15 years, were
stabbed.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement it
was an "unspeakable crime".
He said all parents would feel "gut-wrenching sadness at
what has happened".
A candlelit vigil and church service were held in Cairns on
Friday night.
The house in the Manoora suburb has been cordoned off.
Police said it was a "tragic event" but there was no cause
for public concern.
They have not made any arrests, but said the injured woman
was assisting with their investigations.
A candlelit vigil was held in Cairns on Friday evening
The street was closed off by police
Police investigators scoured the house for evidence
Local people gathered outside in shock
Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar confirmed to
reporters that the woman was the mother of at least seven
of the children, but that formal identification of the bodies
had not yet taken place.
"We believe the other child is a family member but that is
being followed up," he said.
He said police could not confirm how the children died until
coroners' reports were carried out.
Police are speaking to a range of people, he said, including
a man seen near the house earlier in the day, but there are
as yet no formal suspects.
Police comforted some of those outside the house
Floral tributes have been left outside the house by
mourners
Specialist police officers were being brought in from
Brisbane, he said, including child trauma experts.
AAP reporter Cleo Fraser at the scene told the BBC
residents were standing in the street in shock.
Queensland Police said in a statement earlier that they
were called to a residence in Murray Street at 11:20 local
time (01:20 GMT) following reports of a woman with serious
injuries.
"During an examination of the residence police located the
bodies of the children, all aged between 18 months and 15
years," said the statement.
Associated Press quoted Lisa Thaiday, a cousin of the
injured woman, as saying that the children were found by
their elder sibling, a 20-year-old man, when he returned to
the house.
"I'm going to see him now, he needs comforting," Ms
Thaiday said. "We're a big family... I just can't believe it.
We just found out [about] those poor babies."
'Trying days'
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he was "deeply
saddened and shocked" by the events.
"Indeed, the whole Cairns community and the people of
Queensland will feel the effects of this tragedy, particularly
at a time of year when families come together."
The deaths come with Australia still reeling from the siege of
a cafe in Sydney which ended on Tuesday morning, with the
gunman and two hostages dead.
Mr Abbott said in his statement that these were "trying days
for our country".
Several police and governmental investigations are under
way into the police operation and how the gunman, Man
Haron Monis, was able to carry out the attack.
Monis was on bail at the time of the attack after being
charged with sexual assaults and being an accessory to the
murder of his wife.