<p>Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the memorial site where five children died in a jumping castle accident on Thursday (December 16), as he announced that the government would fund support to the families, first responders and community affected by the tragedy. Morrison was accompanied by his wife Jenny as both of them paid their respects at the memorial and laid flowers.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The incident happened during an end-of-year party when the children were celebrating the last week of class before Christmas break in a primary school in Devonport, northern Tasmania.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The children fell from a height of 10 metres when the bouncy castle was picked by the wind at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport. As per reports, they belonged to grade 5 and 6 and were about 10-12 years old.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-witnesses-surge-in-covid-19-cases-438011">Australia witnesses surge in COVID-19 cases</a></strong></p>

<p>"I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the five families in particular who have lost those precious young ones and we think also of the families of the three who are still in a terribly critical condition. We think of the entire community that is just heaving with sorrow," Morrison told reporters in Hobart.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“There are no words, only prayers, for our fellow Australians in Tasmania, and for the community that will carry this burden. And it will be a heavy burden. It will weigh them down," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We grieve with them, and we mourn with them, and we want to do everything we possibly can to help them through this terrible, terrible, unthinkable and imaginable tragedy," he further said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-bizarre-accident-us-official-finds-two-alligators-in-suv-at-mishap-site-437889">A bizarre accident? US official finds two alligators in SUV at mishap site</a></strong></p>

<p>An online fundraiser - initially aiming to raise Aus$1,000 ($712) for the victims' families - climbed to over Aus$1.1 million on Saturday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's just beyond anything we could have thought possible. I think it just proves how shaken up everyone is and how tight-knit of a community we are," Zoe Smith, who organised the fundraiser, told media in Devonport.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Australia prepares to protect Koalas from bushfires</strong></p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the memorial site where five children died in a jumping castle accident on Thursday (December 16), as he announced that the government would fund support to the families, first responders and community affected by the tragedy.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the memorial site where five children died in a jumping castle accident on Thursday (December 16), as he announced that the government would fund support to the families, first responders and community affected by the tragedy. Morrison was accompanied by his wife Jenny as both of them paid their respects at the memorial and laid flowers. The incident happened during an end-of-year party when the children were celebrating the last week of class before Christmas break in a primary school in Devonport, northern Tasmania. The children fell from a height of 10 metres when the bouncy castle was picked by the wind at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport. As per reports, they belonged to grade 5 and 6 and were about 10-12 years old. ALSO READ | Australia witnesses surge in COVID-19 cases "I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the five families in particular who have lost those precious young ones and we think also of the families of the three who are still in a terribly critical condition. We think of the entire community that is just heaving with sorrow," Morrison told reporters in Hobart. “There are no words, only prayers, for our fellow Australians in Tasmania, and for the community that will carry this burden. And it will be a heavy burden. It will weigh them down," he added. "We grieve with them, and we mourn with them, and we want to do everything we possibly can to help them through this terrible, terrible, unthinkable and imaginable tragedy," he further said. ALSO READ | A bizarre accident? US official finds two alligators in SUV at mishap site An online fundraiser - initially aiming to raise Aus$1,000 ($712) for the victims' families - climbed to over Aus$1.1 million on Saturday morning. "It's just beyond anything we could have thought possible. I think it just proves how shaken up everyone is and how tight-knit of a community we are," Zoe Smith, who organised the fundraiser, told media in Devonport. Watch | Australia prepares to protect Koalas from bushfires × (With inputs from agencies)

'We grieve with them': Australian PM Scott Morrison visits site of jumping castle tragedy

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'We grieve with them': Australian PM Scott Morrison visits site of jumping castle tragedy