Six critically ill patients have been killed in a fire that broke out at an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in the western Indian city of Jaipur.

The fire, suspected to be caused by a short circuit, started late on Sunday night in the storage area of the ICU of the Sawai Man Singh Hospital. Eleven patients were in the ICU at the time.

The victims include two women and four men. Relatives of the victims have accused staff of negligence, which hospital authorities have denied.

The government of Rajasthan state, of which Jaipur is the capital, has announced an investigation into the incident.

"Every possible step is being taken to ensure patient safety, treatment, and care for those affected, and the situation is being continuously monitored," the state's Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said on Sunday.