5 children die in bouncy castle accident in Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — Five children died and four others remained in critical condition Thursday after a gust of wind hurled them 30 feet into the air at a school in the Australian island state of Tasmania.

The school held a celebration to mark the end of the school year.

Among the children who died were two boys and two girls from Year 6, aged 10 or 11, said Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine. Later on Thursday, police confirmed that a fifth child had died in hospital.

Five other children were treated, four of them in critical condition. Hine said an investigation was ongoing.

Video: Australian children die in bouncy castle accident

Images released by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation show police officers comforting each other while paramedics provide first aid to the victims.

Parents arrived at the school gate to pick up their children while helicopters flew the injured to hospitals.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein described the incident as “just unbelievable… I know this is a strong and caring community that stands together and supports each other.”

Tasmania Police Commander Debbie Williams told reporters: “Several children fell from the bouncy castle. It looks like they fell from a height of about 10 metres.”

“This is a very tragic event and our thoughts are with the families and wider school community as well as our first responders,” Williams said.