Manoora rocked by deaths of eight kids

The heart-rending wailing of a woman who fell to her knees when she was told eight children were found dead nearby has echoed along Murray Street.

Residents in the housing commission suburb of Manoora in the far north Queensland city of Cairns are used to commotion - it's an area that's been described as a ghetto, a suburb that historically has suffered a bad reputation and high crime rates.

In June, media revealed the suburb was at the centre of a secret government report into youth sexual abuse and domestic violence.

But although life might be tougher here, there is nothing that could have prepared this community for the devastating news that rocked not only the suburb, but the nation, on Friday morning.

"Eight children dead?" one woman mouthed as tears streamed down her face after hearing the news that the victims, aged 18 months to 15, had been found in a house on Murray Street.

Residents, along with family and friends of the deceased, took refuge together near a children's playground at a small park on the street.

Just metres away forensic experts were sifting through a crime scene detectives have described as one of the most shocking and distressing they have encountered.

People young and old wept, put their arms around each other and shook their heads in disbelief.

Some said they were waiting anxiously to hear whether their child one was one of those who had died.

"I felt sick when I saw the picture (of the house on TV)," local Pastor Nicole Dalla Vecchia told AAP, after comforting relatives of the children.

"It doesn't matter if you know them or not, it breaks your heart."

Ms Dalla Vecchia said that although the area had historically had a bad reputation it was a close-knit community that stood by each other.

Two teenage sisters who live nearby and knew one of the older children laid flowers under a tree.

"They're a close, tight-knit, loving family," Jade Aitkinson, 14, said.

"We're all very tight and this is a very big shock to the area."