"People are just trying to get their head around it."

3:51pm Amy Remeikis: The Department of Communities are sending a team to Cairns to "deal with the human and social recovery".

"It is similar to community recovery," a spokeswoman said.

There is no suggestion the family was known to the department. 

3:46pm:

What we know so far

Eight Cairns children are dead and another woman is in hospital with injuries.

The children were aged between 18 months and 15 years old Cairns

Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar has just spoken to the media, describing the incident as "extremely distressing".

If people are feeling distressed, Lifeline can offer support on 13 11 14.

3:43pm: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has issued a statement on the tragedy in Cairns:

"The news out of Cairns is heartbreaking," he said. "All parents would feel a gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened. "This is an unspeakable crime. "These are trying days for our country. "Tonight, there will be tears and prayers across our country for these children. "My thoughts are with the Queensland Police and all who have to respond to this terrible situation."

3:32pm: Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has issued a statement.

Here it is in full:

I am deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic events in Cairns today.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those concerned.

I'm also aware of the impact this will have on the emergency service workers and police officers who responded to the scene, and I have asked the Acting Ministers to make sure those individuals are receiving the support they need.

Indeed, the whole Cairns community and the people of Queensland will feel the effects of this tragedy, particularly at a time of year when families come together.

I ask that all Queenslanders reach out to those who may need support in coming days and do not hesitate to seek professional assistance if needed.

3:20pm: Specialist police officers are on their way from Brisbane to Cairns after the discovery of the bodies of eight children.

3:06pm: Labor MP for Mulgrave in far north Queensland Curtis Pitt has released a statement on behalf of the ALP:

I know only the details of this incident that have been made public so far.

This is heartbreaking for our community.

To lose so many young lives like this at this time of year is a tragedy beyond words.

All our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victims.

We must now wait until police have completed their investigations and can hopefully provide some explanation for this senseless loss of young lives.

EARLIER:

Eight Cairns children have been stabbed to death and another woman is in hospital with injuries.

The children were aged between 18 months and 15 years old, police have confirmed.

A 34-year-old woman is receiving treatment for serious injuries and is assisting police.

A crime scene has been set up at a home in Murray Street in Manoora, a suburb of Cairns. Detectives are searching through the home and its backyard.

Police were called to the property about 11.20am, following reports of a woman with serious injuries.

They have now set up a a mobile centre at the scene, with officers from the Cairns Criminal Investigation Branch, Child Protection and Investigation Unit, Scenes of Crime and Scientific section at the scene.

Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said the incident was "extremely distressing", however he was unable to confirm the relationships between the victims.

When asked whether the woman in hospital was in police custody, he said: "No, not at all. She's assisting us with our inquiries at this stage."

"As it stands at the moment, there's no need for the public to be concerned about this other than that it's a tragic, tragic event. The situation is well controlled at the moment," he told reporters.

"There shouldn't be any concerns for anyone else out of this environment and as we progress further we'll be sharing the results of our investigation.

"The crime scene is being locked down. That includes, from me. Nobody goes in there until our forensic people are finished and until we have done that we're not going to be able to clearly establish any relationships."

"This is not a small job, we're not taking this lightly at all. We don't do that here in the Far North, This will be done to the nth degree and we will cover every angle before this is finished."

Manoora is located within the north Queensland city of Cairns, and is about four kilometres from the central business district.