Four young children have died in a house fire in Derbyshire.
Emergency crews were called to the semi-detached property in Highfield Road, Hulland Ward, near Ashbourne, at about 2330 GMT on Monday.
About 20 firefighters from Ashbourne, Wirksworth and Belper stations brought the blaze under control.
Two boys, aged nine and four, and two girls, aged six and two, died. An investigation is being carried out to find out the cause of the fire.
A woman, believed to be in her 40s, was taken to Royal Derby Hospital where she is currently being treated for effects of smoke inhalation, police said.
Fire crews remained at the scene overnight and will be returning on Tuesday to continue with their examination of the property.
Gavin Tomlinson, from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, said: “We were met with a very well developed fire. We had to work hard to get access to the property.
“We knew there were people in the house. We didn’t ascertain who they were or what they were initially, and unfortunately that became clear as the accident progressed.
“We have no view on the investigation at the moment. We have to bear in mind the sensitivity of this.
“It’s a very tragic and very distressing time for anybody who’s concerned or connected to both the fire service and the family in particular.
“We started an investigation last night and investigations will be ongoing for several days at least.”
He said the blaze caused significant damage to the house but did not reveal where the fire started.
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