5 babies found dead in freezer

The corpses of 5 babies have been found in a freezer in a house in Louchats, near the city of Bordeaux, France.

According to Al Jazeera, the body of a newborn was found in a thermal bag earlier on Thursday and during a search of the house,  officers discovered 4 more bodies of babies.

The 40-year-old father of the babies was taken into custody while the 35-year-old mother was hospitalised. The couple reportedly have 2 daughters aged 13 and 15.

Reports say the father had initially found the bag containing the first corpse of a newborn baby as the mother apparently "gave birth at home alone".

It further says the mother was taken to the hospital "for gynaecological and psychiatric examinations" although "at this stage does not appear to have a history of mental illness", AFP reports.

Autopsies will be performed Friday to determine whether the babies were born alive