Five children were killed in a house fire in Pittsburgh early Tuesday and two others remain hospitalized, officials said.

Police said they are searching for a 17-year-old who was baby-sitting when the fire broke out in Larimer, in the East Liberty neighborhood, around 1 a.m.

The children who were killed were between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. They are Daekia Marie Holyfield, 7; Cedano Holyfield, Jr., 4; Dezekiah Holyfield, 3; Andre Rankin, 6, and Azquel Rankin, 4.

Javon Irwin and Huedon Chambliss, both 8 years old, escaped the blaze.

As many as a dozen people were inside the row house when the fire started, police said. Crews found flames shooting from all three floors of the building. The bodies of the five children were found on the second floor.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said, "We take this very hard. ... It's a very sad day for the city."

Police said two families were living in the home and the fire remains under investigation.

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-Renee Cardelli & John Paul, NEWS9