The Minister said that the Rescue Police reached the spot within a minute of information and Civil Defence team reached after two minutes.
From @MOI_QatarEn on Twitter:But lack of floor plans, thick smoke and heat and malfunctioning sprinkler systems hindered rescue efforts at the Villaggio.
From @MOI_QatarEn on Twitter:Reports that among the 13 children killed in a fire in Qatar's capital of Doha, four were of Spanish nationality, diplomatic sources in Madrid has said.
Qatar's Interior Ministry did not disclose the nationalities of the dead, but admitted that there were Europeans among them. A ministry official told journalists none of the dead were Qataris.
Many expatriates live in Qatar, a gas and oil-rich Gulf Arab state with one of the highest standards of living in the world.
An eyewitness has posted footage of a fire in the Qatari capital of Doha, where 19 people have been thought to have been killed in a major shopping complex.
The footage posted on YouTube shows black smoke billowing from the shopping centre as emergency vehicles rushed onto the scene.
H.E the Minister said that Public Prosecution has started investigation into the incident and it will reveal the actual causes of the fire.
From @MOI_QatarEn on Twitter:The Minister appreciate the great and brave efforts by firefighters and rescue team for their work in reducing casualities.
From @MOI_QatarEn on Twitter:4 teachers and 2 civil defence personnel also died. Children 13. 7girls and 6 boys. Total toll death 19.
From @MOI_QatarEn on Twitter:The Qatar-based satellite network Al Jazeera said 19 people were killed, including 13 children, have been killed today in a fire at an upscale mall in the Qatari capital.
The blaze broke out at the Villagio Mall in Doha's west end. Smoke was billowing from the mall, which was evacuated. Ambulances and police vehicles blocked entry to the complex.
The Gulf Arab state's ministry of interior was planning to hold a news conference about the fire this evening.
Nineteen people including 13 children have been reported killed in a fire at a Qatar shopping centre, according to Reuters.
