Police in Vienna, Austria, made the distressing discovery of the three girls’ bodies after their mum told police she had killed her children and she wanted to kill herself

Three young girls, including an eight-month-old baby, were found dead after their mum told police she had killed her children, the force says.

The 31-year-old woman, said to be from Nepal, allegedly told officers she wanted to kill herself when she called an emergency number in Vienna, Austria.

The girls were suffocated, according to a preliminary investigation.

Officers were sent to the family’s apartment in the suburban Donaustadt district at 5.20am on Saturday, and arrested the mum, who had self-inflicted injuries, a spokesperson said.

The bodies of three children – aged nine, three and eight months – were then found inside the home.

The eldest girl was taken to hospital where attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.