Tirupati, Sep 25 (IANS): A doctor and his two children were killed in a fire that broke out at a newly constructed private hospital at Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district on Sunday.

The fire broke in the top floor of the hospital building where the doctor was living with his family. Dr Ravishankar Reddy and his son and daughter lost their lives. His wife Dr Ananta Lakshmi and mother were rescued by the locals.

The incident occurred around 4.30 a.m. at Kartika Hospital for children in Bhagat Singh Nagar at Renigunta near the temple town of Tirupati. There were no in-patients at the hospital which opened recently.

The fire fighting personnel shifted Bharat (12) and Kartika (15) to another hospital where they succumbed. The condition of the doctor's wife and mother is stated to be stable.

A police officer said they received the information about the fire around 4.50 a.m. Two fire tenders rushed to the hospital and doused the fire.

Police suspect that short-circuit led to the fire. The actual cause of the fire will be known after detailed investigation, police said.