Up to 100 people have been injured and several killed as two commuter trains collided in southern Germany, police said.

The crash took place near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling, about 60km south-west of Munich, and caused numerous carriages to derail.

Authorities said after an initial count at least eight people are confirmed dead and more than 50 severely wounded.

Police spokesman Stefan Sonntag told AP the accident involved two regional trains that crashed head-on on the single track between Rosenheim and Holzkirchen at around 7am local time.

Images from the scene show shattered carriages listing on the tracks in a wooden area.

Emergency services, including eight rescue helicopters, are at the scene. Firefighters are working to free passengers trapped inside the wreckage of the train.

This is the biggest accident we have had in years in this region and we have many emergency doctors, ambulances and helicopters on the scene, Sonntag said.

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