Seven children were killed when their home in southern Ukraine’s Nikolaev region caught fire early Monday, the Emergencies Ministry said.

A blaze started at about 06:15 a.m. local time (0415 GMT) in Konezpol village, destroying the building, the ministry said.

According to the authorities, seven children aged between 2 and 14 were found dead at the scene. Their mother was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.