The woman whose unlicensed orphanage in central China's Henan Province caught fire and claimed seven young lives was rushed to hosiptal but said she has a "clear conscience" and will not abandon her charity work.

Yuan Lihai is treated in hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties late Saturday night.

"Dozens of children would have died if I had not taken them in," Yuan Lihai, 48, said at a hospital ward in Lankao County on Sunday. "I have a clear conscience."

Yuan, who has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, complained of breathing difficulties late Saturday night and was sent to hospital.

Before she fell ill, local authorities held her in isolation in a hotel room for questioning. Even her family was unable to find her.

A fire broke out in her two-story home on Friday morning when she was taking the older children to school. Seven people, including children aged seven months to five years and one 20-year-old man, died in the fire.

A 10-year-old boy nicknamed "Xiao Shi" narrowly survived with injuries to his respiratory system. He remains in intensive care at a hospital in Kaifeng, the city with jurisdiction over Lankao County.

The children were left at home unattended when the fire broke out. "I hired a nurse to help me look after the kids, but she had a second job at the county hospital. So, she left every morning after preparing the children's breakfast."