3 Indians among 6 people killed in hospital fire in Malaysia

The deceased include two ethnic Indian women and an ethnic Indian man, police said.

Kuala Lumpur: Three Indian-origin Malaysians were among six persons killed on Tuesday when a fire broke out at the intensive care unit of a major government hospital in southern Malaysia's Johor Baru.

The fire, which broke out on the second floor of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital early morning, forced the mass evacuation of hundreds of patients and medical staff.

According to police, four women and two men, all in their 50s, died in the fire. The deceased include two ethnic Indian women and an ethnic Indian man, police added.

"The government will conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the fire and the safety level (at the hospital)," Malaysia's Prime minister Najib Razak tweeted.

There were a total of 193 staff and 294 patients at the hospital when the fire broke out. A few others were injured in the blaze.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Johor state Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar has instructed the hospital authorities to use the royal ward for patients as the intensive care unit (ICU) was badly damaged in the fire.

Founded in 1882, Sultanah Aminah Hospital is a government-funded multi-specialty hospital. It is the biggest hospital in Johor.