Sydney: Trapped in fire, woman dropped 2-day-old baby and toddler from second floor

A mother trapped by a fire in her Sydney apartment safely dropped her 2-day-old baby and 2 year-old toddler from a second-floor window to rescuers, officials said today.

The children were uninjured by the fire and from their 6-meter (20-foot) fall on Thursday night in suburban Lakemba, Police Senior Constable Jamie Wallace said.

Their 27-year-old mother was rescued by fire fighters using a ladder and was taken to hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and cuts, Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said. The children were rescued before emergency services arrived and the details were sketchy.

Dewberry said the baby boy was caught by people holding a bed sheet over scattered mattresses. He was not sure how the toddler was caught.

A neighbour, who was not named, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television that her father and a friend caught both children "in a piece of cloth" held over mattresses.

Dewberry said the mother was in the window with hot smoke billowing over her and was about to jump when the fire fighters arrived.

The fire, which broke out in a kitchen, spread to other apartments and about 50 people were evacuated from the 12-apartment block, Dewberry said.