Eight children dead after mass stabbing in northern Australia

The children, with ages ranging from 18 months to 15 years, were stabbed to death at the house in Cairns

Police block off the road leading to a house where eight children were found stabbed to death and one woman suffered serious chest injuries
Police block off the road leading to a house where eight children were found stabbed to death and one woman suffered serious chest injuries

Eight dead children and a woman suffering from serious stab wounds were found inside a northern Australian home Friday, Australian police say.

The children, with ages ranging from 18 months to 15 years, were stabbed to death at the house in Cairns, a suburb of Manoora.

Queensland state police were called to to the home at 11: 20 a.m. local time after receiving a report of  a woman with serious injuries.

The 34-year-old woman is in stable condition and is receiving treatment for her injuries, police said.

Detectives were speaking with neighbors and police had not determined the relationship between all of the children and the hospitalized woman.

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 incident in Cairns is not suspected to be related to terrorism.