China street children die in bin

A trash collector discovered the bodies of the five boys aged about 10 on Friday morning in a dumpster in the city of Bijie in Guizhou province, according to the Beijing News, citing city officials.

Police believe they suffocated in the container where they took refuge to try to escape the cold, the report said, adding an investigation was under way.

Calls to Bijie police and city officials went unanswered onSunday.

The Beijing News quoted officials as saying the bodies had been taken to a funeral home. It cited residents as saying the children had been seen playing with an old ball picked up from the dumpster.

The Friday night low temperature in the mountainous city was 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit).