STARKVILLE, Miss. — Nine people, including at least six children, died early today in an apartment fire, officials said.

The blaze was reported about 4 a.m., according to Oktibbeha County Coroner Michael Hunt. He and state Fire Marshal Mike Chaney confirmed the deaths.

Firefighters were still at the scene more than six hours later, and there was no word on how the blaze started.

"All I can tell you is we had a fire in one of the older apartment buildings," Starkville Fire Chief Rodger Mann said.

He did not identify any of the victims.

Firefighters let other people back into their apartments about 9:30 a.m.

The apartment that burned is in a large complex of six two-story buildings, each divided into eight apartments. The heaviest damage was to three apartments on the second floor of one of the buildings, though all of those who died were in one apartment, Mann said.

The complex is not far from Mississippi State University, the state's largest with 18,500 students.

Starkville has about 24,000 residents.