Residents of the Atikamekw community of Manawan, Que., are in shock after learning two preschool-aged brothers were brutally beaten, allegedly by older children on the reserve.

The brothers, three and five years old, were in a playground close to a daycare in Manawan in the Lanaudière region, about 180 kilometres north of Joliette, at around 6 p.m. ET Tuesday.

It's alleged the brothers were beaten by children ranging in age from six to 10.

The two suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospitals outside the community.

The condition of the five-year-old, who was flown by helicopter to Joliette Hospital, has stabilized. The three-year-old, who was rushed to Montreal's Sainte-Justine Hospital, underwent emergency lung surgery and was in critical condition.

People are in shock right now. - Grand Chief Constant Awashish, Atikamekw Nation

Provincial youth protection services and the local Indigenous police force are handling the investigation, given the young age of the children linked to the beatings. No other details are immediately available.

According to a source who spoke to Radio-Canada, the three-year-old was forced to swallow sand, seriously damaging his lungs.

All the children are from Manawan. The source said the five-year-old boy had previously been bullied by one of the children alleged to have been involved in the lasted incident.

Band council leaders have set up a crisis centre to help anyone affected by the incident in the community of just under 2,200.

"There's youth protection services that's helping the family of the victim, as well as the perpetrators," said Grand Chief Constant Awashish of the Atikamekw Nation.

"Of course, it's something traumatizing for both parents, and even for the community.… I think people are in shock right now. I think everybody is gathering together the information, to get their spirit together, to figure out what's next with how they are going to deal with it as a community."