Yahoo TV

STORY: A gunfight in Australia's Queensland state has left six people dead, including two police officers, authorities said on Tuesday.

The incident happened the evening before at a remote property in Wieambilla, about 186 miles northwest of the capital Brisbane.

The officers had been responding to a missing persons report when they approached the residence and were shot by two armed offenders.

Three offenders were later killed by specialist officers who responded to a siege situation at the property.

A member of the public was also killed and two other police officers were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Queensland Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll:

"Despite police efforts, the matter was unable to be resolved peacefully and all three offenders were fatally shot by specialist officers. An ethical standards investigation is underway into the police response with oversight from the Triple C (Crime and Corruption Commission). In total, six people have lost their lives."

"The scene is quite unimaginable, it's distressing, and in my view, those officers did not stand a chance, and I don't know how two got out alive."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to Twitter to express his condolences, describing it as "terrible and a heartbreaking day".

Gun crime remains relatively rare in Australia which has some of the world's toughest gun laws.