At least five children died and about a dozen others were injured after fire broke out at a government-run boarding house in southern Pakistan, an official said Friday.
A bedside candle was found to have caused the blaze at a Sweet Home hostel for children of the poor in Mirpurkhas town, after authorities initially investigated an electrical fault.
"Five children died at the (Sweet) Home because of a fast spreading fire," Javed Odho, the deputy inspector general of police in the region told AFP.
Other children suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital before being discharged.
"We ruled out the short circuit as a cause," Odho said.
"It appears that some children kept a burning candle beside a bed that caught fire and it spread very fast as there were bunk beds at the hostel," he added.
Police detained staff at the home but later released them.