A WOMAN who became known worldwide for becoming an ‘Octomum’ in 2009 has shared an update as her children turn 16.

Nadya Suleman had six children at the time, conceived by IVF, but decided to have one more.

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Nadya made headlines in 2009 after giving birth to eight children[/caption]

nataliesuleman/Instagram

She’s opened up about her regrets over the years[/caption]

Her doctor assumed the 12 embryos she had left were unlikely to survive, so suggested she implant the whole dozen; however, eight of the 12 stuck, and she gave birth to them in 2009 – leading her to be called ‘Octomum’.

Now 49, the mum-of-14’s family has grown even more as her son welcomed a baby girl last August.

Nadya recently took to Instagram to update fans on the family as her IVF octuplets turn 16 this month.

In addition to her octuplets Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Makai, Josiah, Jeremiah and Jonah, Nadya is mother to Elijah, 23, Amerah, 22, Joshua, 21, Aidan, 18, and 17-year-old twins Caleb and Calyssa, all of whom were conceived through IVF.

“Healthy, fit family,” she wrote in an Instagram post, alongside photos of her and her kids spending time in the gym, “staying strong and thriving together.”

The single mother left people outraged when she gave birth to the children, with many wondering how she would provide for them.

In 2012, the backlash only grew when she turned to pornography, stripping, and selling nude photos to support herself and her family.

Nadya has since changed her name to Natalie and shares rare updates of her family with fans these days as she opens up about how public attention became difficult to cope with.

“I was pretending to be a fake, a caricature, which is something I’m not, and I was doing it out of desperation and scarcity so I could provide for my family,” she told the New York Times in 2018. “I’ve been hiding from the real world all my life.”

She admitted her quick rise to fame caused her to suffer from PTSD.

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The eight children have just turned 16[/caption]

“I would take whatever I could back in the days, and I would let them in,” she said of the influx of reporters that reached out to her at the time.

“I was spiraling down a dark hole. There were no healthy opportunities for Octomom.”

“I was doing what I was told to do and saying what I was told to say,” she continued.

“When you’re pretending to be something you’re not, at least for me, you end up falling on your face.”

In 2013 Nadya decided to stop sex work and has reflected on the difficult period in her life.

Speaking to Sunday Night reporter Angela Cox in 2020, she said: “I think I was young, dumb, irresponsible, reckless.”

In another interview, she spoke about her past and her regrets at some of the choices she made.

She said: “Some of the things that I have done – of course that I’m ashamed of in the past – was just to put food on the table and just to take care of my family.

“My kids get embarrassed because their friends sometimes will say ‘My mum said your mum’s a stripper’.”

On top of the stress of the public attention, Nadya has suffered physical issues from carrying eight children at one time.

She said: “My back is broken because of the last pregnancy.

“Four out of the five discs in my lumbar spine are ruptured, herniated fully. And I have irreparable sacral damage. And I have peripheral neuropathy.

“I haven’t felt my toes on my foot on the right side for many years, and my fingers are numb all the time every day. The pregnancy caused it all.”

HOLDING her breath Trish Hinde creeps quietly past her father’s bedroom. 

Pressing herself against the wall, the then six-year-old pretended to be a butterfly, or a ladybird, melting into the pattern on the wallpaper. 

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She says he would call her into his room every time she walked past[/caption]

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Gerard King was jailed three years ago for raping and sexually abusing Trish[/caption]

For if her father heard her footsteps, or even sensed her breathing, she would be ordered into his room for an almost daily ritual of sickening sexual abuse.

Gerard King was jailed three years ago for raping and sexually abusing Trish, now 37, throughout her childhood. 

And now the brave mum of four has written a book; ‘Not My Fault’ which tells the story of her journey through horrific trauma, to the happiness and stability she enjoys today.

Trish, from Manchester, says: “My father would always tell me the abuse wasn’t his fault, that he was simply made that way. 

“So I thought it must be my fault, instead.  I grew up believing that I was responsible. 

“Now at last I understand none of this was my fault and the shame all belongs to him. 

“I am so proud that I’ve broken the cycle, and my children will grow up in a safe and loving home.” 

The abuse began when Trish was just six years old, with King calling her into his bedroom as she made her way downstairs.

She says: “I had no idea what the abuse  was, but I just knew I hated it. 

“Afterwards, he would fall asleep with his arm clamped over me and I had to wriggle out, without waking him. 

“Even to this day, I can’t bear to have an arm over me, even from my own husband. I feel trapped.”

When Trish was seven, her father kept her off school and raped her in the living room.

She says: “I felt so afraid and confused. 

“I lived in a noisy, busy house, I had five older siblings and we had lots of pets. But I was completely isolated. I had nowhere to turn.”

Alone and scared, Trish internalised her trauma and later that year, she began suffering from violent seizures. 

Her father took responsibility for her epilepsy care, even abusing her on hospital visits.

Medical records also suggest Trish’s father exaggerated her symptoms.

Trish says: “Dad made out I was ill, when much of the time I wasn’t. Perhaps he did it for financial gain, for benefits. 

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Trish has found love with her husband Craig but admits it took a long time for her to trust men again[/caption]

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“Or maybe he did it to discredit me, so if I spoke out about the abuse, he could say I was unwell or unreliable. 

“I certainly had seizures but I now feel they were probably stress-related, and caused by the abuse. 

“I was stuck in the situation where the person responsible for my seizures was the one in charge of my care.

“On the way home from an appointment, he stopped the car and abused me in public. I was powerless to even speak out against him. 

“Each time he’d remind me it wasn’t his fault, and he’d tell me he was scared of going to prison, which made me worry for him.”

With nobody to confide in, Trish turned to her pets for comfort. She confided in her dog, Tyson, her two Guinea pigs, three rabbits and two hamsters.

She says: “Tyson was my best friend. I told him everything. My other pets lived in the garden shed and I spent hours feeding them clover and giving them cuddles.

I wanted to shout it at the top of my voice, but I was too afraid, and despite myself, I felt sorry for him

Trish Hinde

“My guinea pigs had three babies, and I adored them. They were so cute.”

But when Trish was nine years old, she went out to the shed one morning to find her one of her guinea pigs was dead.

She says: “I ran back into the house, screaming. The guinea pig was cold and looked as though it had been sliced into pieces.

“There was a lock on the shed, and no sign of a break-in. At first, I thought one of the other animals had attacked him, but he was in a cage on his own.”

A couple of days later, Trish found another guinea pig dead, and then a rabbit. The deaths became a sinister pattern, one or two bodies every week, until all of her pets had gone.

She says: “Each morning, I went outside hardly daring to look in the cages, to see which one was dead. One by one, they were all killed, sliced up in the same way.

“I hated going into the shed, I was terrified of what I might find, but I couldn’t leave the others without food. It was like there was a serial killer, stalking my pets. I even worried they might kill me too.

“They met a very cruel and brutal end, and it has lived with me right through my life.”

Soon after her last pet was killed when Trish was nine, her father was jailed for the sexual abuse of another child.

She says: “By now, I was starting to work out that it had happened to me too. 

“I wanted to shout it at the top of my voice, but I was too afraid, and despite myself, I felt sorry for him. 

“He was still my father.”

With her father in prison, and her mother working long hours, Trish watched helplessly as bailiffs carried away family possessions.

Trish says: “I got used to hiding under the table with my dog, Tyson, when the bailiffs came. They took away the microwave and the telly, we had so little left. “

With her father gone, the sexual abuse stopped, and Trish’s seizures also miraculously vanished.

In her early teens, she began skipping school and became recklessly promiscuous, often finding herself in danger. 

Without realising, she became a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation.

She says: “I’d skip school and meet men, often much older than I was, and go back to their houses to drink vodka and hang out. I went out clubbing in my early teens. 

“I suppose I was looking for affection and attention, and that was the only way I knew. 

“I had no idea I was being groomed or exploited. Aged 14, I had a boyfriend in his mid 30’s. I was really out of my depth.”

She says she reported her childhood abuse many times, in a letter to social workers, in an essay she wrote at school and to a therapist. 

But, despite her father being jailed for abusing another child, she says her complaint never went any further.

Trish says: “Each time, nothing was done, and I began to suspect it was my fault, after all. I lost faith in the system.”

Trish became suicidal and despairing. Her relationships seemed doomed because she had damaging flashbacks and her seizures returned whenever she became intimate. 

The memory of her father’s arm, pinning her to the bed, was so powerful that it triggered her epilepsy.

The one man who should have loved and protected me, instead tried to destroy me

Trish Hinde

But in 2014, she met her husband, Craig Hinde, now 39, who works in banking. 

They now have four children, Jacob, now eight, Oscar, seven, Jessica, five, and one year old Ohana, and Trish credits her husband and children for turning her life around.

Trish was at first overly protective of her children and did not like her husband looking after their daughter.

She says: “Craig is a wonderful father, I knew the problem was with me, not him. 

“But I could not trust anyone with my daughter. I saw all men as a threat.” 

Realising her past history was damaging her marriage, she decided to go to the police.

In April 2022, Gerard King, 59, was convicted of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child at Chester Crown Court. He was jailed for 16 years. 

Trish maintains the court case and conviction were not important to her. 

She says: “What mattered was that someone listened to me. Someone believed me, after 25 years. That means everything.”

Trish has written a book about her experiences, called: ‘Not My Fault’ published by Mirrorbooks. 

She says: “I never want to see my father ever again. 

“The one man who should have loved and protected me, instead tried to destroy me.

“I no longer feel guilty that he is in jail because I’ve finally realised it is precisely where he belongs.

“And if being in prison scares him, he has only himself to blame. 

“I have learned, after 30 years of holding myself responsible, that none of this is my fault.”

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Trish is now moving on with a family of her own[/caption]

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She says that she has finally let go of the fault she was holding onto[/caption]

THE CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a Wuhan lab after years of denial under Biden’s administration.

An assessment released Saturday now points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has low confidence in its own conclusion.

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Covid most likely leaked from a Wuhan lab, the CIA has said[/caption]

The finding is not the result of any new intelligence, and the report was completed at the behest of the Biden administration and former CIA Director William Burns.

It was declassified and released Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in Thursday as director.

The nuanced finding suggests the agency believes the totality of evidence makes a lab origin more likely than a natural origin.

But the agency’s assessment assigns a low degree of confidence to this conclusion, suggesting the evidence is deficient, inconclusive or contradictory.

Earlier reports on the origins of COVID-19 have split over whether the coronavirus emerged from a Chinese lab, potentially by mistake, or whether it arose naturally.

The new assessment is not likely to settle the debate. In fact, intelligence officials say it may never be resolved, due to a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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A HOLOCAUST survivor has revealed she was minutes away from being sent to her death at Auschwitz – before her train was diverted in a lucky twist of fate.

Agnes Kaposi, 92, was just 11 years old when she and her family were shoved into a cramped and dark cattle wagon with 86 other petrified Jews – the padlocked door slamming shut behind them. 

Darren Fletcher

Darren Fletcher

Alamy

The little girl didn’t realise that their train was trundling across the Hungarian countryside towards Auschwitz where they were to be executed in gas chambers with half a million others.

And she wouldn’t know until years later that she was on the only train in history to be diverted away from the concentration camp at the last minute in a move that would end up saving her life.

Agnes, speaking from her North London home, told The Sun: “Historians tell me that there was a single train – mine – that was diverted from Auschwitz.”

As the world marks Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, Agnes said if it wasn’t for that “quirk of history” she wouldn’t be here today and her children and grandchildren wouldn’t exist. 

It was on this train – over a gruelling five days and nights – that Agnes witnessed horrors that she’ll never forget.

Agnes recalls the 87 of them cramped tightly together with no room to lay down and only a small A4-sized window with metal bars across it and a small gap in the gateway for light.

They had no food or water with them and were trying to stick their hand out of the window to collect the condensation from the steam engine in a small cup. 

Agnes remembers being a terrified little girl, watching two people die in front of her and some of those around her slowly turning mad.

Agnes, who works with the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “People die of dehydration before they die of starvation. 

“There were also some who were raving mad. They were screaming and shouting, they were tearing their hair out. 

“A few tried to attack people in the cart and had to be restrained. 

“And these would be perfectly ordinary, normal people when we started the journey.”

She still remembers the oil drum in the corner of the wagon, which they were forced to use as a toilet.

Agnes, her voice quiet, said: “There was an oil drum stood on its end with one end cut off and that was the toilet. 

“And well, when the drum was getting full, my grandmother found a ladle in her luggage,” Agnes added, her voice growing quiet as she remembered how they would have to scoop the excrement through the tiny gap.

She said as the train moved, they felt a sense of relief because it meant they were going further away from the Hungarian gendarmerie who had made their lives a living hell for years.

Agnes and her family didn’t realise that they were in fact heading for Auschwitz – or that when they were just 12 miles away their train was diverted.

She said: “At one point, we stopped and we stayed for a long time and then I could sense that I was going in the direction of travel.

“If you shut your eyes on the tube you can sense whether you’re travelling one way or the other.

“And that’s when I realised that our train had changed direction.”

Agnes only found out years later that her cattle wagon had been bound for Auschwitz – or that it was the only train to be diverted.

The grandmother said: “A historian told me that it was a quirk of history.

“Well, I am here today because of a quirk of history – my family as well. 

“I wouldn’t be here to tell you this story had the train finished that 12-mile journey.”

Agnes Kaposi

Agnes was just 11 years old when she was crammed into a cattle cart bound for Auschwitz[/caption]

Darren Fletcher

Darren Fletcher

Agnes (centre bottom) is pictured with her aunt Terka (far left), grandmother Nanoka (second left), mother Magda (second right), aunt Pici (far right), father Imre (top right) and uncle Feri (top left)[/caption]

Agnes Kaposi

Darren Fletcher

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Women and children are seen after the British liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on 15 April 1945[/caption]

An estimated 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp – 1.1 million of whom were murdered in the gas chambers.

Over Hitler’s brutal reign, six million Jews were killed.

Her diverted train ended up at Strasshof transit camp near Vienna and from there Jews were taken to work as a slave labourer across Austria‘s farms and factories.

Agnes lied about her age – saying that she was 14 years old – so that she’d be able to work.

If they found out that she was 11 years old they wouldn’t have allowed her to – and food was only given to workers.

In the nine months that followed, Agnes was a slave labourer at a farm and then later a factory manufacturing anti-aircraft guns for the Nazis before returning to Strasshof.

When the transit camp was finally liberated, Agnes finally felt a sense of hope when the Soviet Union’s army arrived to liberate their camp.

But they brought fresh horrors, picking off some of the Jewish women at night to rape them.

Agnes said:  “At night, they came. They raided our camps and targeted some women and took them away.

“When they came back, some were bruised, some bloodied – all of them in a terrible state when they stumbled back in at dawn.”

Agnes was only 12 years old at the time and only knew that they had been traumatised – not that they’d been raped.

But they knew they had to flee when the Russians arrived.  

And so they started their formidable 160-mile trek through war-torn Austria, Slovakia and Hungary to their home in Budapest. 

She said: “It took us a month to get there because there was no public transportation, and we were just about staggering because we were so weak.”

Agnes’ grandmother found hiding places for the four women of their family for fear of them being found by the Russian soldiers. 

She said: “The Austrians had fled their villages from the Russian soldiers – and so we went through empty streets with beautiful intact houses. 

“But we never slept in the houses because that’s where the Russian soldiers came raiding, looking for women. 

“We slept in chicken coops, or pigsties, or inside haystacks to hide from them.”

Agnes and her family finally made it to Budapest on 1 May, 1945, hoping to be reunited with their male relatives. 

But they were met with yet more heartbreak. 

Agnes found that only one of the men in her family had survived the war and 27 had been killed.

They had been sent to join the Hungarian army, without clothes or weapons, and were thought to have been killed by their fellow countrymen.

Her family also found that their home had been taken away from them and confiscated. 

And on their return, Hungarian civilians told them: “Couldn’t you have stayed where you were?

“Hitler should have finished the job instead of you spoiling the air here.”

Agnes was one of the very few who survived Hitler‘s barbaric rule and she later left Stalin’s Hungary to set up a home in London. 

She said if her train hadn’t been diverted in that “quirk of history” – she wouldn’t be here, nor her five grandchildren.

Darren Fletcher

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Over Hitler’s brutal reign, six million Jews were killed.[/caption]

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Jewish prisoners stacked in their bunks at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp after liberation by the US Army 80th Division on April 16, 1945 in Jena, Germany[/caption]

THE Traitors fans have forecast a telly reunion between host Claudia Winkleman and one fan-favourite star.

It came after surprise BBC One show winners Leanne Quigley and Jake Brown, both 28, walked away with the £94K cash prize in very tense scenes.

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The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman could be reunited with a fan-favourite Faithful in another telly show[/caption]

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It came after the kind-hearted contestant reached Friday’s finale[/caption]

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In the nail-biting finale, their fellow Faithfuls Francesca Rowan-Plowden, 44, and Alexander Dragonetti, 38, were cut adrift by the duo – and fans now reckon the latter is set for another plum telly role.

After one Traitors viewer demanded “someone get our king Alexander on another show,” he has been tipped to join forces with Claudia, 53, on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Claud fronts the long-running series with Tess Daly, 55, and, with the 21st instalment set to kick off later this year, British diplomat Alexander is a shoo-in with odds of 3-1 to star.

Alex Apati of bookies Ladbrokes said: “He’s undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters we’ve ever seen on The Traitors, and it looks like Alexander could soon be about to take on another huge BBC show in the shape of Strictly Come Dancing.”

If so, he would follow in the sequin-studded pathway of comedian Chris McCausland, who scooped the coveted Glitterball Trophy with professional partner Dianne Buswell last year.

The news will come as a delight for fans of the contestant, who proved a revelation since rejoining the action part way through the series.

One took to X to remark: “Please can we have Alexander pop up in absolutely every show from now on. What a sweet guy.”

Another put: “The ironic thing is, Alexander is WAY MORE personable than Leanne, he’s liked much more than her and he’s much better TV, he’ll likely earn A LOT more than the £40K Leanne won, because he’ll land a high profile media job whereas Leanne likely won’t.”

A third then added: “I swear Alexander is the best thing that could’ve happened to this show.”

One posted: “Love Alexander. It’s giving… next James Bond.”

He has now gained more than 60,000 Instagram followers since joining the show.

Meanwhile, other eagle-eyed Traitors fans have tracked down Alexander’s online dating profile – and gushed “how is he single?”

NEXT STEPS

Alexander lost out on the whopper cash prize at the final Traitors stage.

He was booted out by Frankie, Jake and Leanne after they chased their longstanding view he wasn’t a Faithful.

After rumours of another telly stint reared their head, he remained coy on his next steps and said: “I haven’t really thought about any of the future yet.

“I’m just getting to today was sort of all my energy just doing that. I would love to take any I’d love to sort of be open to any opportunities that come out as I love new things, and so let’s see.”

He added to Metro: “But today is probably not the day to think about it too much.

“I haven’t actually done any of that thinking if I’m honest, but you know, I love doing new things, so let’s see.”

In the meantime, kind-hearted Traitors viewers have been busy donating to Mencap – the charity Alexander would have helped should he have won The Traitors’ top prize.

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Claudia fronts the BBC One series alongside Tess Daly[/caption]

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The diplomat could follow in the fancy footsteps of 2024 winner Chris McCausland[/caption]

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MANCHESTER UNITED have been handed a huge boost in their hopes to build a new 100,000-seat stadium.

The government has backed the proposed project to redevelop the Old Trafford area.

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Manchester United have been handed a huge boost in their plans to build a new stadium to replace Old Trafford[/caption]

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed the project[/caption]

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AI has predicted what a new stadium could look like for Man Utd[/caption]

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has revealed that she will champion the regeneration project put forward by Man Utd’s stadium task force.

The team, which includes Gary Neville, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Lord Sebastian Coe, set out a feasibility study of either redeveloping the current Old Trafford or building a new stadium.

And now Reeves has backed the idea in what the government is describing as a “shining example of the bold pro-development model that will drive growth across the region”.

The project will not only make changes to the Man Utd stadium, but will also lead to new housing, commercial and public spaces.

Man Utd are yet to make a final decision on refurbishing Old Trafford or knocking it down to build a brand new home.

However, it’s claimed by The Mail that United officials are focusing all their energy on a potential 100,000-seat newbuild.

While they also report that the club are hopeful that enabling work could start on the project before the end of the year.

It’s been claimed in the past that the full project could cost the Manchester club north of £2BILLION to pull off.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

United’s task force found that a redevelopment of the existing stadium would be limited to a capacity of 87,000, which is just 12,700 seats more than the current capacity of the ground.

While United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pushed for a new “Wembley of the north” project that would seat over 100,000 fans.

It’s reported that a final decision will be made before the end of the current season.

The planned project could generate £7.3billion annually for the UK economy and create around 90,000 jobs nationally.

Lord Coe, who is chairing the Task Force, said the plans would act as a catalyst for “one of the biggest regeneration projects ever undertaken in the UK”.

While Mayor Burnham described the proposals as offering “the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012”,

AFP

Man Utd’s regeneration Task Force is chaired by former Olympian Lord Sebastian Coe[/caption]

A MAJOR supermarket has urgently recalled specific batches of some popular breaded chicken products over fears they may cause salmonella.

The recall affects Marks & Spencer Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Burgers and Chicken Kyivs, which have been linked to the bacteria.

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Marks & Spencer recalls Southern Fried Chicken Burgers[/caption]

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Packs of 2 Chicken Kyivs have also been recaled[/caption]

The chicken meals affected are only sold in Marks and Spencer in Northern Ireland.

An urgent “do not eat” warning has also been issued to all who have bought the products.

Salmonella, a nasty bacteria infection, is said to have been found during routine testing.

Usually, salmonella symptoms include a fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps, according to the Food Standards Agency.

Marks and Spencer Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Burger products with use by dates of January 26, January 30, January 31 and February 1 2025 are affected.

Meanwhile, shoppers have also been warned about M&S 2 Chicken Kyivs with the use by date of January 26 2025.

M&S have now placed notices at points of sale to alert shoppers, say the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Customers are being urged to check their products against the recall list.

The FSA said: “These batches of Marks and Spencer Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Burger and 2 Chicken Kyivs are being recalled due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

“People infected with Salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range between 6 and 72 hours.

“The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps.

“The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission.

“The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.”

If you have purchased the implicated products, the advice is to not to eat them and to return them for a full refund.

The FSA issues Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food.

In some cases, a ‘Food Alert for Action’ is issued.

This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.

THE ancient Turkish city of Hierapolis hosts what is believed to be the oldest ‘Gate to Hell’ on Earth.

It is a passage once used for animal sacrifices to the Greek god of death, Pluto – also known as Hades.

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The stone archway is known as Pluto’s Gate, and was discovered amongst ruins by archaeologists in southwestern Turkey in 2013[/caption]

Francesco D’Andria /University of Salento

During their excavation, archaeologists witnessed several birds drop dead after flying too close to the gate’s mouth[/caption]

Archivio Missione Archeologica Italiana a Hierapolis

Researchers in 2018 discovered that the Ploutonion was filled with volcanic carbon dioxide[/caption]

Getty - Contributor

The gas has been belched from a fissure running deep beneath the area for centuries[/caption]

Two thousand years later, it lies in ruins – believed to have been torn apart during the 6th century AD by Christians and later, earthquakes.

Yet visitors should still be wary.

The stone archway is known as Pluto’s Gate, and was discovered amongst ruins by archaeologists in southwestern Turkey in 2013.

It is located in the modern town of Pamukkale, known for its hot springs.

The gate is built into one wall of a rectangular, open-aired arena with raised stone seating and a temple on top.

During their excavation of the site more than a decade ago, archaeologists witnessed several birds drop dead after flying too close to the gate’s mouth.

Their observation corresponded with the ancient writings of the Greek geographer Strabo, who lived between roughly 63 BC and 24 AD.

“This space is full of a vapor so misty and dense that one can scarcely see the ground. Any animal that passes inside meets instant death,” he wrote.

“I threw in sparrows and they immediately breathed their last and fell.”

Even the bulls that were led into it would fall and be “dragged out dead”, while priests would walk out unharmed.

But there are no strange forces at work here.

Researchers in 2018 discovered that the Ploutonion was filled with volcanic carbon dioxide.

Parts of the cave reached levels of 4% to 53% of volcanic carbon dioxide, depending on where you are inside the cave.

The gas has been belched from a fissure running deep beneath the area for centuries.

The lower to the cave floor, the higher the amount of suffocating gas – which is why animals were more likely to succumb to it than humans.

So much gas coats the bottom of the cave that it forms a lethal lake, which animals with noses to the ground breathed in far more of than the humans walking upright beside them.

Though Strabo noted that the priests who entered with their offering would “hold their breath as much as they [could]”.

Francesco D’Andria, professor of classic archaeology at the University of Salento, who led the excavation of the cave, said: “People could watch the sacred rites from these steps, but they could not get to the area near the opening.

“Only the priests could stand in front of the portal.”

According to the archaeologist, the site had once been a place to convene with god by way of animal sacrifices.

Small birds were given to pilgrims, he said at the time, to test the deadly effects of the cave.

There are few pictures inside the grotto, due both to its toxicity and its nature as an archaeological site.

Archivio Missione Archeologica Italiana a Hierapolis

It is located in the modern town of Pamukkale, known for its hot springs[/caption]

Getty - Contributor

There are few pictures inside the grotto, due both to its toxicity and its nature as an archaeological site[/caption]

Experts are urgently calling for help amid worrying signs a “devastating” music festival trend is back.

Neale Daniher’s family had no idea he was going to be named Australian Of The Year, his Perth-based son Luke was so thrilled that he decided to fly to Canberra to be with the rest of his family for the night.