A FIRE at a hospital in southern Taiwan killed at least nine people today as the island was battered by a typhoon.

The blaze occurred in Pingtung county, which has been hit hard by Typhoon Krathon. The storm made landfall in the afternoon, bringing torrential rains and heavy winds that brought parts of the island to a standstill.

Those who died inhaled smoke from the fire, the cause of which was under investigation.

Soldiers from a nearby base were mobilised to help medical workers and firefighters in the evacuation of patients and putting out the flames. 

Reports said that 176 patients had been rushed to the front entrance and transferred to ambulances or makeshift shelters used to shield them from the pouring rain. 

Krathon made landfall in the major port city of Kaohsiung, packing winds of 78 mph with higher gusts, according to the breakaway Chinese province’s weather authorities.

The slow-moving typhoon has forced thousands of people to leave mountainous and low-lying areas.

Flooding and high winds caused considerable damage to industries from fishing to to chemicals, while cutting off transport routes and electricity supplies.