DUBAI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Seven children died of suffocation after the villa they lived in caught fire early Monday in the sheikhdom of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), local media reported.

The UAE daily Gulf news reported on its website that the exact cause of the fire remained unclear, while police suspected that a short circuit has triggered the blaze, which damaged part of the house.

Only the mother of the family survived. The father has passed away a couple of years ago.

The bodies of the seven children were laid to rest the same day.

The crown prince of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Bin Zayed, expressed sympathy with the bereaved family on Twitter.

The incident marks one of the deadliest fire incidents in years in the Gulf state, the report said.