A 37-year-old man is suspected of murdering his wife and two children before jumping to his death from a Hong Kong hotel, police have said, adding that they believe the motive was rooted in mental health problems.

The bodies of a woman, 36, and two children, aged three and six, were discovered with multiple cut wounds in a room at the Panda Hotel in Tsuen Wan, police said, noting that the man had rented the space for a three-month period ending in August.

Police said the case had been classified as a murder-suicide, with an investigation under way.

Confirming the Post’s report, the Customs and Excise Department said the man had been an inspector. He had resigned for personal reasons in the middle of June and had been on leave since May.

The Post learned that the man had suffered from depression and had been seeking medical treatment at a private clinic in Tuen Mun. It also learned that his wife and brother had been aware of his illness.

Police said they found the jobless man after he fell from the room at the hotel, which is located on 3 Tsuen Wah Street, after receiving a report at 4.45am from an employee of the nearby 7-Eleven convenience store.