A 27-year-old woman is currently under investigation after five of her children aged between 1 and 8, have died.
The woman, residing in the western German city of Solingen, is reportedly severely injured after she climbed atop the tracks at a main train station in Dusseldorf.
“We do not yet know exactly what happened when or why, only that it is a very tragic situation,” police spokesman Stefan Weiand has said.
He says the mother is not currently in a fit enough state to be questioned, and is not releasing any details on the five children’s cause of death.
The kids were three girls aged 1, 2 and 3 years and two boys aged 6 and 8.
The woman’s 11-year-old son survived and is being placed with family members.
The children’s grandmother, who lives about 60 kilometres from Solingen, notified the police shortly before 2 pm local time, after founding the bodies, officials have said.
They found the deceased children in an apartment complex in Solingen’s Hasseldelle district – which is home to many large housing developments that date back to the 1970s.
The 27-year-old mum’s whereabouts after the death of her children is still muddled, but it is believed she travelled to Dusseldorf main station with her 11-year-old son.
At 1.47pm, she threw herself in front of a train.
According to a fire department representative, the woman was found between two track beds and taken to hospital.
The mayor of Solingen Tim Kurzbach says he has visited the house where the “terrible act” happened.
“I lit a light for the five dead children and paused in prayer for the victims,” he wrote on Facebook.
“It’s still unbelievable and incomprehensible to me.
“For all of Solingen, today is a day of mourning.”
Images: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Over60.