At least three people were killed and several others were injured after a passenger train derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday, the German press agency DPA reported, citing local authorities.

"According to current investigations, three people were killed and other passengers were seriously injured," Ulm police said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how many people were wounded. 

The train had been carrying around 100 passengers when at least two carriages derailed at around 6:10 p.m. (1610 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

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What else do we know about the accident?

Emergency services including fire brigade, rescue crews and police were attending the scene, while Baden-Württemberg state interior minister Thomas Strobl was also on his way, according to a spokesperson.

"I am in close contact with the interior minister and the transport minister and have asked them to support the rescue forces by all means," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote in a post on X. 

The regional train had been traveling through a hilly and wooded area between Sigmaringen and the city of Ulm where, according to the local Südwest Presse newspaper, the local hospital was freeing up beds to receive casualties.

Police were initially unable to confirm what had caused the accident.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez