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In tragic news Hunter Valley house fire survivor, Kara Atkins, collapsed and screamed in agony, “please, not the babies”, after finding out three of her four children died after their home was engulfed in flames.

According to a friend the mum collapsed as a doctor and social worker broke the news her twin daughters also perished, at her bedside at John Hunter Hospital.

She had been sedated since she was admitted to the hospital with smoke inhalation and burns to her forehead and back last Wednesday, aware her son Blake, 11, did not survive.

“She’s awake now and has been as screaming over the weekend, ‘where are the children?’”close friend Tash Hunter told The Daily Telegraph.

“She was unable to get inside when Blake was trapped but she had wiped it from her memory and thought the twins had made it when the ambulance took them.

“She screamed, ‘Why the girls? Please, not the babies,’ the doctors told her what happened at the weekend,” Ms Hunter said.

“She’s no longer on sedatives and can’t stop crying and feels guilty he’s the only one who survived.

“She’s blaming herself because she couldn’t save them. She’s in deep shock, her mental state is up and down, those children meant everything to her, she’s a wonderful mother, they wanted for nothing, she adored them.”

Young Bayley Atkins, eight, who is recovering from smoke inhalation at the hospital’s Ronald McDonald House, has been visiting her mother daily with her father, track worker Chris Rinkin.

Firefighters were able to enter the house through the windows of two bedrooms and removed the twins, aged five, who were taken to Singleton Hospital but did not make it.

Miraculously, Ms Atkins and eight-year-old sister Bayley were pulled from the flames and survived. Blake, 11, was pronounced dead at the scene while twin daughters, Matylda and Scarlett, were taken by ambulance to hospital but did not make it.

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  • I couldn’t even begin to imagine the grief she is feeling. I hope she can find the right support to help her through it

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  • Lets hope the survivors don’t endure too much physical pain during their treatment.
    It will make their risk of mental health problems so much worse. They will need as much support as they can be given. Grief is so cruel and some never recover from it. A tragic loss of lives. I don’t know the circumstances of the fire but I notice in the article that the Mum was in no way at fault for the cause of the fire. Naturally she feels guilty that she couldn’t save all her children

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  • I can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak she is going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

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  • This is such a heart breaking story. I can’t imagine how the poor Mum and surviving child will recover.

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  • I can’t even begin to think how any mother could get through this.

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  • I honestly cannot imagine how she is feeling – the loss must be absolutely agonizing and heartbreaking. RIP poor souls. I hope the remainder of the family have the strength to cope with this incredible and tragic event.

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  • This story is so upsetting . It’s mothers instinct to feel that way. Seeing her two girls went into the ambulance gave her hope. My heart goes out to her, and her family.

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  • As bless, how tragic. My heart goes out for what is left of this family.

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  • of course she feels guilty any parent would, she knows it isn’t her fault but that doesn’t change the way she feels, I am hoping she finds a way to cope with her horrific losses. R.I.P. kids

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  • This would be beyond anything I could imagine having to deal with. She will need so much love and support to get her through this, and I really feel for her and then family.

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  • Heartbreaking and tragic, no words can ever describe what this would feel like

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  • A parent should never outlive their children. This is so heartbreaking. It’s scary to think of how quickly you can lose your family and have your heart and soul ripped out. I feel for the family

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  • I can only imagine the absolute pain she is in. Not many stories describe the reactions of people except to say they’re upset, of course. Screaming and crying all day makes it so more real. It would be the worst thing to happen. Life is cruel. I hope she doesn’t feel guilty for too long as she needs to look after her son, and it’s not her fault. Very heartbreaking. R.I.P. little ones. :(

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  • No words can describe how this must be effecting so many people. A sad story.

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  • So hard on all the family , this suffering. Questions will be asked and they will never forget that day. As a parent it is hard that your children die before you and in such away, if will be an only .

    Reply

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