Australian police have closed off the street of the property where eight children were found dead in Cairns, December 19, 2014. |
The police said Friday that a woman was also found with stab wounds at the property in the city’s suburb of Manoora.
The 34-year-old woman was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition and helping detectives with their inquiries.
Another sibling, a 20-year-old man, reportedly arrived home to find his eight siblings dead inside the house.
Reports widely stated that the children were stabbed to death, while other outlets said they had been suffocated. Police did not immediately give any details on the issue.
"As it stands at the moment, there's no need for the public to be concerned about this other than the fact that it's a tragic, tragic event," said Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar.
Police were questioning neighbors and officers had not determined the relationship between all of the children and the injured woman.
However, the woman’s cousin Lisa Thaiday reportedly said that the dead children were all siblings and the woman was their mother.
A stepfather was also known to live at the property, reported Sky News, saying, however, that his whereabouts are unknown.