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double tragedy

Horror as 3-year-old twins burn to death ‘huddled together holding hands’ as it’s claimed they locked mum out of house

TWIN girls aged three huddled together holding hands as they burned to death after locking their mother outside, relatives claimed today.

Tanyka Ford, 29, is said to have frantically struggled to get back into the burning house to reach daughters Aisha and Lailani.

 Twins Aisha and Lailani burned to death in a house fire in New South Wales
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Twins Aisha and Lailani burned to death in a house fire in New South WalesCredit: 9news.,com
 Mum Tanyka Ford is said to be 'severely traumatised'
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Mum Tanyka Ford is said to be 'severely traumatised'Credit: 9news.,com

Tanyka and son Dominic, five, were helpless to save them as flames reportedly engulfed the family home in just four minutes in Batlow, New South Wales.

Firefighters bashed down the door and dragged Aisha and Lailani outside, but could not revive them.

Their aunt Tammy Dubois, 39, said Tanyka had found the twins playing with a burning pillow next to the log fire and rushed outside with it.

Somehow the twins managed to lock the door from the inside, she told Australia's Daily Telegraph.

'HUDDLED IN FRONT ROOM'

Tammy said: “There must have been something else burning in the front room

“Tanyka was screaming at them to unlock the door but they didn’t. The poor darlings would have been scared.

“The girls couldn’t speak, they had their own special language, they adored each other.

“They were found in the front room huddled holding each other’s hand.”

Arson investigators are looking into the cause of fire, although there is no indication so far it was lit on purpose.

Police said there was a wood fire burning inside the house before it went up just after 11am on Monday.

By the time crews arrived the house was "totally on fire" and the roof was collapsing as they tried to rescue the twins.

 Flames rapidly engulfed the family home in Batlow, New South Wales
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Flames rapidly engulfed the family home in Batlow, New South WalesCredit: PA:Press Association
 Arson investigators are probing the source of the fire
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Arson investigators are probing the source of the fireCredit: 9news.,com
 Firefighters dragged the twins outside but could not revive them
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Firefighters dragged the twins outside but could not revive themCredit: 9news.,com

Tammy - whose brother Geoffrey Dubois is the girls' dad - added: "Our hearts are broken.

"My brother Geoffrey is beside himself.

"He was asked to identify their bodies at hospital today but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He doesn't want to be here.

"Tanyka is covered in cuts and scratches from trying to break through windows to get to the girls.

"She loved those girls, her eyes are red raw from crying."

Detectives have questioned Tanyka, who has been left "severely traumatised".

They said they also planned to speak to the Geoffrey, who was in nearby Tumut at the time.

SNUFFED OUT

Superintendent Bob Noble, of New South Wales Police, said it was possible the door had been dead-bolted shut but warned against speculating how it happened.

He said: "It's disrespectful to the memory of these two little babies to be entering into conjecture that might want to point fingers."

He added: “Obviously it's a particularly horrific incident, the lives of two young girls having been lost, the family and so forth, friends of the family are quite rightly distraught as are neighbours.

“The mother of the two deceased children is distraught, there was another young child present at that time, and you can only imagine what they're going through.

“It's just devastatingly sad that two young lives have been snuffed out like that.”

The mum's childhood friend Jean Werner said twins Aisha and Lailani were happy, cheeky, and full of life.

She told 9News: "It's just really sad – I just think I'm still in shock, I just can't believe it.

"It's just the worst thing imaginable that could happen to anyone."

Neighbour Col Anderson said: "Three years old, it's the start of their life you know, when you think what could be in store for them."

Tankya's brother Levi Ford has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family “with clothes, food and other things”.

He said: “My sister tragically lost her three-year-old twin daughters in a house fire, which claimed not only the lives of these two young children but also their home and belongings.

“Her son has lost all the belongings including toys and clothing.

“Losing everything is hard enough without having to worry about financials.

“Anything no matter how small would be appreciated.”

 Tanyka Ford with her children's father Geoffrey Dubois
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Tanyka Ford with her children's father Geoffrey DuboisCredit: 9news.,com
 The dad was not there at the time of the fire
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The dad was not there at the time of the fireCredit: 9news.,com
 The twins were happy, cheeky, and full of life, friends said
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The twins were happy, cheeky, and full of life, friends saidCredit: 9news.com
 Fire investigators at the house today
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Fire investigators at the house todayCredit: PA:Press Association
 The girls' gran Sharon Dubois and other family at the scene in Batlow
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The girls' gran Sharon Dubois and other family at the scene in BatlowCredit: PA:Press Association
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