A family of six people and a relative of theirs died in a fire that engulfed part of a residential building in south China's Guangdong Province early on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The fire started at about 2 a.m. in the five-story building in Daping Town, Puning City, the city government said in a statement.

Six bodies were retrieved after the fire was put out at 3:25 a.m., and another person, who was rescued during the fire, died in hospital, the statement said.

An initial investigation showed that seven people were in the building when the fire started, including a family of six that owns the building and a relative who came to visit them, it said.

Local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and property losses.