Families of Sydney siege victims visit memorial

The families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who were killed in the Sydney cafe siege, visited a makeshift memorial in Martin Place Thursday.

Relatives of Dawson looked visibly shaken as they hugged each other and read cards left by thousands of well-wishers, Xinhua reported.

Dawson, 38, a barrister and mother-of-three, along with Lindt Chocolate Cafe manager Johnson, 34, were pronounced dead after the 16-hour siege which ended early Tuesday.

The families of both victims slowly made their way around the memorial site and the floral tribute, which has grown rapidly since Tuesday morning.

"This love comes for free," said Ken Johnson, Tori's father, looking at the sea of flowers. "We want to thank everybody for supporting us through this terrible time."

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said a permanent memorial will be erected in Martin Place.