Mother and Five-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead Outside Melbourne Apartments in Chinese-Australian Hub of Box Hill; Police Not Seeking Anyone Else
Melbourne-- Police in the Australian state of Victoria are investigating the deaths of a mother and her young daughter in Box Hill, one of Melbourne's largest Chinese-Australian communities. Shortly before 6:20 pm on Thursday, October 22, emergency services were called to the Promenade apartments on Prospect Street, where an unresponsive woman was found outside the high-rise, followed by an unresponsive young girl nearby. Both were treated at the scene but could not be revived.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed the pair were a 38-year-old woman and her five-year-old daughter, who lived in Blackburn South, about a ten-minute drive away, and were not residents of the building. 'At this early stage, police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident,' the spokesperson said. The cause of death has not been released, and anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
According to 7NEWS Australia, the mother worked as a real estate agent and had gone to the building that day to collect keys ahead of showing clients a property; CCTV captured her entering the building with her daughter about an hour before they were found. 9 News Australia reported that detectives are investigating the possibility of a murder-suicide; police have not confirmed that line of inquiry or released a cause of death. Resident Harry Wang told 9 News he tried to help: 'We tried to save her.' The street remained cordoned off until Friday morning, and nearby residents told 9 News the community was shocked and grieving.
Police have not formally released the names of the deceased. The investigation is ongoing. (Reporting based on Victoria Police statements, 7NEWS Australia and 9 News Australia.)
Source: GSM · USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 澳大利亚墨尔本Box Hill中心区Whitehorse Road与Elgar Road路口的高层公寓。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Philip Mallis摄，CC BY-SA 2.0授权
