Sydney - The bodies of a mother and her five children aged between one and eight have been found inside a van in a forest near the western city of Perth, Australian police said yesterday.
A Perth man had identified the bodies of his 25-year-old companion and five children after they were found by hikers late on Saturday, police said.
Post mortems are to be conducted today on the bodies found in the Karragullen state forest, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Perth.
Acting Inspector Wayne Cocking of Perth police said the dead children included girls aged one and four, male and female twins aged five, and an eight-year-old boy.