Bodies of five children found in private flat in Germany

The bodies of five children have been found in a private apartment in western Germany near Cologne.

Emergency services were called to a residential block in the Hasseldelle area of Solingen on Thursday.

Police did not say who found the bodies and are yet to provide more details on the discovery, news agency DPA reported.

According to public broadcaster WDR, police are treating the incident as a criminal act.

No details have been given about the children's parents. However, according to the BBC, the children's mother survived the incident.