Seven killed in China orphanage blaze

At least seven children were killed in a fire that broke out at a shelter for orphans and abandoned youngsters in central China.

According to website China.org.cn the blaze broke out at the refuge being run privately from a woman's home in Lankao county of Henan province.

According to Sky News, police at the site say many children have been hurt, though no specific number was available.

The Xinhua news agency also reported that four of the children died in the fire, while three died from their injuries on the way to hospital.

Reports say the woman who owned the home, Yuan Lihai, had for years been a street vendor in Lankao when she became locally known for sheltering abandoned children.

She is said to have taken in more than 100 children over the past 20 years.