Five children killed in fire at US daycare centre

Five children aged between eight months and seven years have died in a fire at a daycare centre in Pennsylvania.

Authorities say an early morning fire in northwestern Pennsylvania claimed the lives of multiple children and sent another person to the hospital. Source: AAP

An early morning fire in the US state of Pennsylvania has claimed the lives of five children and sent another person to the hospital, authorities say.

The fire was reported in Erie, a northwest lake town, at 1.15am on Sunday, Chief Guy Santone of the Erie Fire Department says.

The victims ranged in age from eight months to seven years.

The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership lists a daycare at the fire address.

Detectives are working to determine whether any of the victims were staying at the daycare, Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny told the Erie Times-News.

A woman who also lives at the residence was flown to UPMC Mercy for treatment, Chief Fire Inspector John Widomski told The Erie Times-News.

The newspaper reported that the injured woman is the owner of the daycare.

Santone told the paper that a neighbour was also injured.