At least three people were killed and several injured when a regional train derailed in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany, local police said on Friday.

Several carriages of the train that covered the route between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Munich derailed at Burgrain, killing three people and leaving an "undetermined" number of injured, the Bavarian police said in a statement.

"Relief and evacuation operations continue," the police added. Rescuers were also sent from Austria to assist in the work.

Photos published by the German media show the regional train half derailed, with the cars lopsided in a wooded area.

The victims were treated at the scene by doctors.

The cause of the accident or the exact number of injuries is not yet known.

The accident occurred tens of kilometers from the place where the G7 leaders' summit will be held at the end of June, a 5-star complex in Elmau Castle.