GENEVA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Six people, including children, were killed and some 20 people were hospitalized in the early hours Monday in an apartment fire in the northwestern Swiss city of Solothurn, local media reported.

The Swiss public broadcaster RTS reported that the fire broke out shortly after 2:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) in one of the lower floors of the apartment. The extent of the damage is unknown at this time.

Such a deadly accident in Switzerland has been rare in recent years.