At least 7 children killed in China orphanage fire

Beijing: At least 10 people, including seven children were killed in two separate fire accidents in China.

Seven children died when fire engulfed a private orphanage home in Lankao county in north China`s Henan Province today. 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, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 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. Also three people died and two were injured when a tanker truck slammed into a residential building and caught fire in the same province. The accident took place yesterday on a section of National Highway 312 in Xixia County of the city of Nanyang, Xinhua reported. The tanker, loaded with liquified gas, collided with a truck while attempting to pass the vehicle, then veered off the road and slammed into a roadside building. Rescuers have found the bodies of three dead people at the scene, and the two slightly injured people have been sent to hospital. Further investigation into the accident is underway. PTI