NASIRIYAH, Jan 23: Sixteen Iraqis, including two children, were killed on Sunday when a fire swept through a hospital in Nasiriyah, causing panicked patients to jump out of windows.

"Sixteen people were killed and others wounded in the fire which broke out at 1:00am (2200 GMT) and which was due to a short circuit," said local police chief Mohammed Muheibel.

Women, hospital staff and patients including children were among the victims of the blaze at Nasiriyah general hospital. "The fire destroyed six floors of the hospital and all the equipment that was there," Muheibel said, adding that the fire was put out only early on Sunday.

More than 200 patients and staff were evacuated, many of them suffering from smoke inhalation. "Thank God, the police and fire brigade arrived quickly," said Mohammed Ali, 30, who had been visiting his father in the hospital.

Many of the patients and hospital staff jumped out of first and second floor windows when the blaze took hold, said rescue worker Said al-Khafaji. Dr Mohammad Hilal at Nasiriyah general hospital said there were two women and two children among the 16 patients and four staff killed while 25 of the injured remained in intensive care. -AFP