School fire kills at least 70 children

NEW DELHI (AP) -- A fire raged through a school building in southern India today, killing at least 70 children and injuring more than 100, a local government official said.
The death toll was likely to rise because at least 32 children suffered serious burns, the official, J. Radhakrishnan, told New Delhi Television.
At the time of fire, about 900 pupils were inside the school, said Radhakrishnan, chief administrator of the Kumbakonam district where the fire occurred. The area is about 1,300 miles south of New Delhi.
Most of those killed and injured were 4-to 10-year-olds, said Press Trust of India news agency.
Aaj Tak television aired video of hundreds of adults milling around outside the glass-fronted school building, many holding their heads or waving their hands, as smoke rose from the site.
The fire broke out at 11 a.m. at Lord Krishna Middle School in the town of Kumbakonam.
Radhakrishnan said on TV that a short circuit may have ignited the thatched roof of an outside kitchen.