Police have alleged that a mother was behind a stabbing attack on three young children that left one dead and two others fighting for their lives in hospital.
The woman, aged in her ۴۰s, is also in a critical condition.
Bystanders were first on the scene after finding the three children and the woman with stab wounds inside a vehicle at Valley Heights in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, on Sunday afternoon.
One young child died at the scene despite witnesses rushing to help, delivering first aid while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
The alleged domestic violence incident came at the end of a horror weekend across New South Wales, after three women were allegedly murdered inside their homes within a ۱۲-hour period on Saturday.
The police deputy commissioner Peter McKenna described the past two days as devastating.
“It’s a horrific and tragic weekend and it’s like one that I don’t remember in my career,” he told Nine’s Today on Monday.
“Those three … plus the no-more-tragic situation that we had in the Blue Mountains. Put them all together and it’s unfathomable.”
Paramedics treated the mother and children at the scene on Sunday before taking them by road to Westmead hospital and Westmead Children’s hospital in a critical condition, where they remained.
“The two children and their mother are in a critical condition,” McKenna said.
“The mother is the suspect in this matter, for domestic related homicide, and that investigation is ongoing.”
Hours after the incident, NSW police Supt John Nelson said the father of the children had been notified.
The father had been at work when he received the call from police, he said.
“You can imagine receiving that tragic news,” Nelson told reporters.
He said the woman had not previously come to the attention of police and that investigators were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
The woman was aged in her ۴۰s and the children were all under five. All three had undergone surgery in hospital.
Nelson praised the efforts of the “upstanding” members of the public who responded to the tragic scene.
“People are just going about a lovely Sunday afternoon, and being confronted with this is traumatic and tragic for anybody,” he said.
Responding officers would not be spared the hardship and would have access to available support services.
Police said the weapon used and the circumstances surrounding the incident would form part of their investigation.
Blue Mountains councillor Darren Rodrigo on Sunday described the news as “absolutely horrendous and tragic”.
“Our deepest love and condolences to the immediate family and our prayers with all the children involved,” he said.
“A massive thank you to the community members [who] intervened to provide medical assistance and to our first responders for their incredible support and courage during this time.”
