The mother of seven of eight children found dead at a house in Cairns, Australia, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Mersane Warria, 37, is talking to officers. She has not been charged. She was found at her home with stab wounds, alongside the bodies of the eight children. A coroner is due to conduct post-mortem examinations.

The victims were aged 18 months to 14 years. Police have not said how they died. The eighth child was her niece.

Confirming the arrest, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: "The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital."

Identified by the local media, Warria remains in a stable condition in hospital recovering from stab wounds.

"At this stage we're not looking for anybody else - we're comfortable that the community at large is safe," police said .Police found a number of weapons at the scene, including knives, which are being examined.

The bodies were reportedly discovered by the mother's 20-year-old son arriving at the home on Friday morning.