As an investigation begins, the tight-knit Tasmanian town of Devonport grieves

Just over a week out from Christmas and the yard of Hillcrest primary school should have been abandoned for the holidays, children gone, gates locked.

But on Friday the car park was full. The police were there along with investigators trying to piece together the course of events that led to a tragedy that has befallen the northern Tasmanian town of Devonport.

The sheer enormity of the tragedy has led to an outpouring from local and national leaders and brought people from across the region to these gates.

The man was one of a constant procession bearing flowers and handwritten notes who made their way here throughout the day. More will come tomorrow.

Nearby, a woman dropped to her knees in the morning sunshine to light a single candle. Contemplative teenagers left their bikes along the entry to the school and sat on the low fence in silence, watching people come and go, occasionally kicking the dirt.

Clearly in shock, and many oblivious to the media milling around, people threw their arms around each other. Others stood in silence, staring at the scene in helplessness. Many were in tears. Community leaders, clearly well known by the crowd, also gathered beneath the towering gum trees, hugging those who came.

What is known so far is that close to 40 year 5 and 6 students were taking part in the end of term activities when the incident occurred at 10am. The jumping castle and huge inflatable zorb balls with students inside were picked up by a strong gust of wind and hurled into the air.

Police say eyewitnesses reported seeing the jumping castle and zorb balls rise about 10 metres. Moments later the children fell, some landing on the oval and others off the hilly slope at its edge.

Investigators are still piecing together exactly how the accident happened, but initial indications are that the majority of those killed or injured were in the jumping castle. A full investigation is under way and the coroner has visited the scene.

As Friday wore on, the names of the children were released with permission of the families. They were Addison Stewart, 11, Zane Mellor, 12, Jye Sheehan, 12, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, 12, Peter Dodt, 12.

The whole state of Tasmania has been plunged into a state of shock and grief, the Tasmanian police commissioner, Darren Hine, said.

First responders were faced with confronting scenes at the school and have been provided with counselling as the shock is replaced by grief. The commissioner urged people to support others, and to ask for help if they are struggling.

In the meantime, this small community is rallying. Even teenagers are trying to find a way to help, while those struck by loss try to make sense of what has happened.

Zoe Smith is an 18-year-old born and raised here. She took it upon herself to set up a GoFundMe page, which has so far raised $965,000 after donations poured in from around the world.

Emergency doctor Nathan Warner was treating injured kids yesterday. He posted to Twitter to urge those who want to help to roll up their sleeves.

The state education department has also pulled together a team of professional support staff at the school today, made up of social workers, chaplains, supporting children and their families.

The Devonport mayor, Annette Rockliff, appeared visibly shaken when fronting the media.

The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, echoed those words and said he had been fielding offers of help from across the nation. The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has been in touch with offers of support.

He said Tasmanian authorities may reach out to other jurisdictions to source psychologists to help the community through what will be a long period of grief.

The entire nation continues to hope and pray for the children who remain in hospital in the hope that they will be able to recover, he says.

Whether or how the jumping castle was tethered to the ground is expected to form part of the investigation.