Fire swept through a house in southern Delaware early Wednesday morning, killing 11 members of the same family.

State police say seven of them were children. Police say the victims ranged in age from an 11-month-old child to a grandmother.

"I think any number of people is too many, but this is quite shocking," said state police Cpl. Bruce Harris.

The fire, which broke out at 3 a.m., gutted the ranch-style home. Police still don't know what sparked the blaze but they say someone in the home was able to call 911 to alert fire officials.

The incident took place near the town of Oak Orchard, about 70 kilometres southeast of the state capital, Dover.