A man strangled his five children to death before committing suicide in Punjab's Chiniot district on Tuesday, police said.

Hussain, a resident of Chiniot's Lalian Tehsil, strangled his five children, including one daughter and four sons, before committing suicide, said District Police Officer (DPO) Chiniot Mustansar Feroz.

Amongst the children killed were his 10-year-old daughter Iqra and sons, Waqas, Shehzad, Subhan and Nouman, aged eight, six, five and and three respectively.

According to area residents, Hussain, 35, had been estranged from his wife, Sajida Begum, who had left for her parents house a few months ago.

When Sajida refused to return despite his attempts to convince her, Hussain took the extreme step of killing his children and hanging himself, police said.