Four young children were killed and four others are fighting for their lives in Australia after a bouncy castle was blown up into the sky by a gust of wind.
The tragedy happened at an end-of-term school party in northern Tasmania.
The primary school pupils were celebrating the last week of classes before the Christmas break when they were thrown from a height of about 10 metres.
“I can now sadly confirm that four children have died and four are in a critical condition and one in a serious condition,” Tasmanian police commissioner Darren Hine said.
The victims were two boys and two girls aged around 11 years old.
Several rescue helicopters and ambulances had rushed to the scene after the incident, which occurred around 10am local time on an otherwise sunny, early summer day.
Images showed attending police officers in tears, and blue tarpaulin sheets shielding what officers described as a very distressing scene.
A police investigation is under way. Witnesses, friends, family, teachers and first responders are being offered counselling.
The Australian Prime Minister said: ‘It just breaks your heart’
Scott Morrison said the incident was “just shattering” and “unthinkably heartbreaking”.