7 children dead in Central China fire

Yuan Lihai (C) talks to firefighters in Lankao county in Central China's Henan province, Jan 4, 2013. [Photo by Xiang Mingchao/Asianewsphoto]

ZHENGZHOU - Seven children died Friday morning in a fire that engulfed a home in Lankao county in Central China's Henan province, local government sources said.

A spokesman for the Lankao county government said the fire, which broke out around 8:30 am, was contained within two hours.

Four children died at the scene of the fire, while another three perished on their way to a local hospital. One injured child is receiving treatment at the hospital.

The spokesman said rescuers do not yet know exactly how many children were in the house when the fire began.

The house is apparently a private orphanage, as local residents said a woman named Yuan Lihai has used the home to shelter orphans and abandoned children.

Rescue efforts, as well as an investigation into the cause of the fire, are still under way.

Wreckage and debris are seen after a fire that engulfed a home in Lankao county in Central China's Henan province, Jan 4, 2013. [Photo by Xiang Mingchao/Asianewsphoto]

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