At least seven teenagers died overnight in a fire at a riding center in the French Alps, the local government said on Thursday.

A young woman was seriously injured and two adults were reported missing after the fire struck the center in Lescheraines in the Savoie region, said a spokeswoman for the local government.

Investigators have yet to determine the origin of the blaze but have not ruled out lightning.

(China Daily August 5, 2004)