Bodies of five children found at apartment in Germany

Police secure a street where five dead children were found in an apartment house in Solingen, Germany. Photo / AP

•This article is about suicide and may be distressing for some readers.

Five children were found dead at an apartment in a western German city Thursday (Friday NZT), and their mother is suspected of killing them, authorities said.

Special police investigate at a house where five dead children were found in Solingen, Germany. Photo / AP

The bodies were found in Solingen, near Cologne and Duesseldorf.

The 27-year-old mother of the three girls and two boys later tried to kill herself in Duesseldorf and was taken to a hospital with injuries, police spokesman Stefan Weiand told n-tv television.

The dead girls were ages 1, 2 and 3, and the boys were 6 and 8, German news agency dpa reported.

The mother's sixth child, an 11-year-old boy, survived and was with relatives.

Police secure the entrance of a house where five dead children were found in Solingen, Germany. Photo / AP

There was no immediate information on the causes of death or possible motive.

The bodies were found after the children's grandmother, who lives 60km away, notified police on Thursday afternoon, said the region's top security official, Herbert Reul.

- AP

WHERE TO GET HELP

If you're in danger now:

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.

• Run outside and head for where there are other people.

• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.

• Take the children with you.

• Don't stop to get anything else.

• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay

Where to go for help or more information:

• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz

• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz

• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz

• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584

• Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence

• National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz

• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent. www.whiteribbon.org.nz

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