UPDATE: Dec 19, 5:33 p.m. EST
Police say the mother of seven of the eight children that were killed has been arrested. She has not yet been charged.
To reiterate, the 37-year-old woman assisting police with our enquiries into the #Manoora deaths has NOT been charged.— QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) December 19, 2014
Original story
Eight children, aged between 18 months and 15 years old, were found stabbed to death in a home in the small Cairns suburb of Manoora in Australia, authorities said Friday.
Cairns detectives are investigating the children's deaths after being called to the Manoora residence around 11:20 a.m. following reports that there was a woman with "serious injuries," according to a statement from Queensland Police Services.
Police say seven of the children stabbed in Cairns this morning belonged to 34yo woman being treated for stab wounds pic.twitter.com/x2PFivGY2h— Kristy Sexton (@kristysexton) December 19, 2014
The woman is in a stable condition at a nearby hospital and is assisting in the investigation, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said during a press conference near the crime scene.
"This is not a small job. We're not taking this lightly at all," Asnicar said, noting though that he could not confirm whether the children were part of the same family nor whether they were related to the injured woman.
VIDEO: Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar speaks about #Manoora deaths investigations. https://t.co/5IaHjZbXtx— QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) December 19, 2014
"There's no need for the public to be concerned about this other than the fact that it is a tragic tragic event," Asnicar added. "The situation is well controlled at the moment. There shouldn't be any concern for anyone else in this environment."
Murray Street in Manoora #Cairns blocked off. Police say 8 people including children killed @abcnews @ABCFarNorth pic.twitter.com/WqLx8zsNBo— Sharnie Kim (@sharniekim) December 19, 2014
The house on Murray Street has been cordoned off as forensic officials investigate the crime scene.
The stabbings quickly became a hot topic as Cairns trended on Facebook and Twitter.
Lisa Thaiday, who said she was the injured woman's cousin, told The Associated Press one of the woman's other sons, a 20-year-old, came home and found his brothers and sisters dead inside the house.
Local residents watch the scene at the #CairnsStabbing as CSI do their work and choppers hover overhead. pic.twitter.com/FohL92NxrN— Isaac Egan (@matosis) December 19, 2014
"I'm going to see him now, he needs comforting," Thaiday said. "We're a big family ... I just can't believe it. We just found out (about) those poor babies."
The tragedy comes as Australia is still reeling from the shock of a deadly siege in a Sydney cafe earlier this week. On Monday, a gunman burst into a cafe in the heart of the city and took 18 people inside hostage. Two hostages were killed along with the gunman after police stormed in 16 hours later in a bid to end the siege.
The events in Cairns today are heartbreaking & all parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened.— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) December 19, 2014
"The news out of Cairns is heartbreaking," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a statement. "All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened. This is an unspeakable crime. These are trying days for our country."
This is a developing story