Malaysia's Johor government expressed condolences to the families of the hospital patients killed in a fire today in Johor Bahru and promised them aid.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat, who is attending a meeting here, said the authorities were shocked by the incident.

Initial reports indicated that six critically ill patients died in the fire which started at about 9am at a second-floor intensive care unit of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru.

"We (the Johor government) will provide the appropriate aid soon to the next-of-kin of those who died," Ayub told reporters here.

He is attending the International Conference on Low Carbon Asia Research Network.

Ayub said the authorities welcomed assistance from private hospitals to temporarily house those patients who would have to be moved out immediately. --BERNAMA