7 Dead In Central China Orhpanage Fire

7 dead in central China orhpanage fire < br />

2013-01-05 11:41:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

ZHENGZHOU, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- At least seven people were confirmed dead after an orphanage in central China caught fire on Friday, local media reported.

The orphanage, located in Lankao county in China's central province of Henan, caught fire at around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to the county government, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Eight orphans or abandoned children were inside the two-room private house, which reportedly served as an orphan shelter, although unregistered, when the fire broke out. Among the eight people inside were seven children and a 20-year-old.

According to the media outlet, for of them died at the scene, and three others later succumbed to injuries while being transported to a local hospital. The eighth person, a child, was receiving medical treatment. The reason of the fire was no immediately disclosed, but it had reportedly burnt around 40 square meters (131 square feet).

A 48-year-old woman, Yuan Lihai, had been using the house as an unregistered private orphanage. Yuan had been sheltering 34 orphans or abandoned children in two different houses in the county. Most of them are either disabled or suffering from an illness, however, the shelter had not been operating under county laws. In a previous occasion, in September 2011, civil affair authorities of Lankao county helped a welfare center in Kaifeng City to take five children from her.

No further details were available, but investigations were launched.

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