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It should have been the happiest day of her life, but instead a California mother got the most horrific shock when she learned that her 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter had been killed in a fire at their apartment -- while she was in the hospital giving birth to her third child. The incident took place in San Bernardino at around 3:05 a.m. on Thursday while the children and their father, who stayed at home to watch them while his wife was in labor, were sleeping. Neighbors say they heard a man screaming for help from inside a small apartment above a garage and saw flames and heavy smoke escaping from the home.
Firefighters reportedly found the two children behind a couch in the living room, unconscious and not breathing. They were transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
The children's father was also taken to the hospital, and fire officials say he was unable to communicate. He was reportedly sedated with a breathing tube and is in critical condition with severe smoke inhalation. The majority of his body is burned, according to authorities.
This poor mother, meanwhile, started feeling labor pains before the fire broke out and was taken to the hospital. Doctors made the wise call to keep this horrifying news from her until after she had her baby. Her identity has not been revealed, nor has she provided comment -- but, seriously, what is there to say? I really hope she is receiving therapy and that someone is constantly watching and helping her as she struggles to care for her newborn while mourning the loss of her two children.
The family was reportedly living illegally in a 500-square-foot apartment located on a foreclosed property. Police say their structure had been cited numerous times with building code violations and that it had racked up more than $100,000 in fines since 2009. The fire reportedly began in the kitchen, but the apartment was not equipped with smoke detectors. The family was allegedly illegally obtaining electricity, gas, and water from adjacent units.
What are your thoughts on this horrific tragedy?
Image via Highway Patrol Images/Flickr
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