Police in Vienna, Austria arrested a woman who called emergency services after killing her children on Saturday, October 17. Upon entering the family's apartment, officers found two children dead and one child still alive. The surviving child eventually passed away at a hospital. The woman has self-inflicted injuries and it is believed that she killed the children and was contemplating taking her own life out of fear of her former partner. Police are investigating the incident.

The emergency call came at around 5:20 am local time. The distressed woman reported that she had taken the lives of her three children and had intentions to kill herself. Police rushed to the home near Kagraner Platz in the Donaustadt District. Inside the home, they found a three-year-old girl and an eight-month-old baby dead.

They also found a nine-year-old girl who was unresponsive but still alive. For around an hour, medics tried to revive the surviving child. However, they could not resuscitate her and she was shortly declared deceased as well.

The 31-year-old woman was found with self-inflicted wounds to her hands. Her injuries were not severe and she was treated at the scene before her arrest.

The woman, originally from Nepal, was living in Vienna with her husband and three children for several years. According to Wiener Zeitung, the couple had separated or divorced sometime before the tragic incident. After a violent confrontation between the parents, a court order preventing the father from contacting the family was passed. However, the court order keeping the 44-year-old man away from the family ended in September and has not been extended.

This reportedly triggered the woman to fear for her and her children's future. She was worried that her estranged husband would forcefully take the children away from her. However, the authorities have not confirmed the reason behind the woman's actions.

It is believed that the woman had strangled her daughters. Post mortem examination results of the children's bodies are being awaited to confirm the cause of death.

Vienna Child and Youth Welfare Services were aware of the domestic conflict in the family. They did not foresee the children to be at risk in the custody of their mother.

The woman remains in police custody as the murder investigation continues.

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Police are investigating the murder of three young girls by their mother. (representational image)