At least nine people have been killed in a fire at a hospital in Taiwan, state media has reported.

The fire broke out on in a ward on the seventh floor of the hospital in New Taipei City early on Monday.

About 16 other people, including patients and staff, remain in a critical condition.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear, though media reports say it could have been started by an electrical fault in a moveable bed.

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Reports say 33 patients and three staff members were evacuated from the Weifu hospital in the northern region of the city after a fire broke out at 04:36 on Monday (20:36 GMT Sunday).

According to state media outlet CNA, police found that the ward was not equipped with “required smoke exhaust equipment”.

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The BBC’s Cindy Sui in Taipei says fires are common in Taiwan where fire prevention measures are not strictly enforced.

In 2012, a hospital fire left 12 patients killed and at least 60 more injured.

Source: bbc.com