This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "People heard a voice" or "There was a loud sound" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive]])
"because the children were gone and would never return." Here "were no more" is a mild way of saying they are dead. Alternate translation: "because they were dead" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism]])