NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — An early morning fire raged through a hospital floor filled with elderly patients Monday morning in Taiwan’s largest city, killing at least nine people and injuring two dozen more.

The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in a room for patients with chronic or long-term illnesses at the government-run Taipei Hospital in New Taipei City. Within an hour, firefighters had extinguished the blaze. But nine people died, all of whom were patients.

“The cause of the fire is still being investigated,” said Kolas Yotaka, a spokeswoman for Taiwan’s government.

There were 32 patients, 10 nurses and eight other workers on the floor when the fire broke out, according to a fire department statement. The blaze forced officials to transfer 206 patients to other hospitals.