Mum mourns deaths of three children in 'heartbreaking' tragedy

A mum is grieving the deaths of her three young children, a tragedy which has rocked her local community.

Laura Gingerich was downstairs in her home in Kokomo, in the US state of Indiana, when she smelled smoke on Saturday.

Her three children Miracle, 6, Steven, 5, and 18-month-old Wilma, were upstairs in a bedroom and the heavy smoke prevented Ms Gingerich from getting there.

Police and deputies tried to rescue the children when they arrived at the scene, but just like Ms Gingerich, they were unable to reach them, WRTV reported.

Firefighters used a ladder to reach a second-storey window and were able to rescue two of the children. They then went back upstairs to rescue the third child and put out the fire.

All three children were taken to hospital, where they died a short while later.

The children's grandparents, Jake and Wilma Kauffman, also lived in the home but managed to survive the fire.

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Local community devastated

On Sunday morning the fire reignited, all but flattening the home, WTHR reported.

The town of Kokomo is now grieving and raising money to help Ms Gingerich.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for the memorial and assist financially as the family lost many of their possessions.

The school Miracle and Steven attended wrote a touching tribute on its Facebook page about the loss.

"The event that took place this weekend was absolutely heartbreaking for all of those who knew the Gingerich family," the Maconaquah School Corporation Facebook post said.

"It is travesties such as this that really make you lean on your community, and the love and compassion that has been poured over our Maconaquah family and the family and friends of Steven and Miracle has been incredible."

The statement also confirmed counsellors would be on site at Pipe Creek Elementary to help students and staff through the grieving process.

A state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, WRTV reported, though initial investigations suggest the cause was not a criminal act.

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