What started as a day of fun ended in tragedy after an inflatable bouncy castle was swept up into the air, killing five children.
The incident happened at an elementary school in Australia where students and staff were celebrating their last day before the Christmas break.
As a gust of wind blew the bouncy castle into the air, the children were thrown from a height of about 10 meters -- almost 33 feet.
Four children died at the scene and a fifth died at the hospital. Several others were critically injured, police said.
Multiple rescue helicopters and ambulances responded to the scene. Photos show the weather was bright and sunny at the time.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sky News the incident "just breaks your heart."
"Young children on a fun day out, together with their families and it turns to such horrific tragedy," he said. "It's just a terrible tragedy, unthinkable, horrific accident, a freak accident that will leave families completely devastated."
The incident remains under investigation. Counseling is being made available for students, families and first responders affected by the tragedy.
The number of injuries from inflatable bounce houses has skyrocketed over the past 20 years, according to the Child Injury Prevention Alliance. The organization says more than 30 children are injured each day, about one every 45 minutes. Injuries range from bruises and broken bones to concussions and closed head injuries.
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