TAIPEI - A fire at a hospital in Taiwan killed nine people on Monday and injured 15 and an investigation has been launched into the cause of the blaze, authorities said.

Premier William Lai said the health ministry was overseeing rescue efforts at the hospital in New Taipei City, where the fire was extinguished shortly after dawn.

The fire broke out on the 7th floor of the building, which was used for hospice care.

Media footage showed patients being wheeled out of the building in their hospital beds, while medical workers took others out on stretchers and into ambulances.

Scores of ambulances lined up outside the hospital waiting to take victims to medical centers.