Seven Mennonite children killed in house fire in Pennsylvania

Seven children belonging to the Mennonite religious group died in a fire at a farmhouse in Pennsylvania while their mother was milking cows and their father slept, reports said.

The children, who were aged between 7 months and 11 years, died late Tuesday when the blaze swept through their two-story house in Loysville, 25 miles northwest of Harrisburg, police said, according to CNN.

It said their father had been taking a nap in his milk truck five miles away at the time. Their mother had been in a nearby barn, milking cows.

The New York Daily News said the alarm was raised by a three-year-old child who had been watching television in the house with her two-year-old sibling.

"While mom's milking cows, her 3-year-old daughter comes running into the barn and the 3-year-old tells the mother that there's smoke inside the house," police spokesman Tom Pinkerton said.

"Mom leaves the barn, comes running out, sees that the house appears to be on fire," he said.

The mother then ran to a neighbor who called 911, according to local broadcaster WGAL.com.

But by the time the father came home the building was completely engulfed by flames. Two children, ages 2 and 3, were watching television at the time.

"I've never come upon a fire scene where there are seven people dead inside," Pinkerton added. "It's just a sad, sad day."

Police said the cause of the blaze was not yet known. The county coroner said autopsies would not be performed on the six girls and one boy, who died from smoke inhalation.

— Barry Neild