China orphanage fire: 10 children shifted to govt custody
Ten children, who survived a devastating fire accident at a private orphanage in north China's Henan province, have been shifted to local government custody.
Six children and an adult were killed in the fire yesterday that engulfed the home in Lankao county.
Two children are in the care of the child welfare agency of Kaifeng while the other eight have been given shelter at a county rescue centre, bureau official Li Meijiao said.
"Authorities are looking for other options to take care of the children, as the rescue station was designed as a shelter for the homeless, mainly adults and lacks facilities and services to take care of children," Li was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency today.
The children were being taken care of by a street vendor, Yuan Lihai, believed to have been operating an unregistered orphanage out of her home, officials of civil affairs bureau of Lankao county said.
One child is in intensive care at a Kaifeng hospital.
