Three children of primary school age died in a suspected gas explosion in a flat in Edinburgh Wednesday, police in Scotland said.
A woman was taken to hospital with injuries. It was not immediately clear whether she was the mother of the two boys and the girl who died, dpa reported.
Eyewitnesses said a woman had jumped from a third floor balcony of the modern terrace block. Neighbours reported a big bang and a strong gas smell at the building prior to the explosion.
The flats were home to a number of foreign students from North African and Middle Eastern countries, residents said.
"The investigation into the cause of this tragedy is in its early stages," a police statement said.