TAIPEI — Nine people have died in a fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan, according to local media.

The fire struck the Pingtung county hospital at around 09:40 local time (01:00 GMT) - just as Typhoon Krathon made landfall to the west, in neighboring Kaohsiung.

The wet and windy weather complicated the fire response, one report said.

The cause of the fire - which was put out more than three hours later, officials said - is still under investigation.

Some reports have suggested it was due to an electrical fault.

Photos showed thick grey smoke billowing from one of the hospital buildings as the fire was raging.

About 300 patients were evacuated and some sought shelter at a nearby commercial establishment.

Soldiers from a nearby military base helped firefighters put the blaze out. — BBC