Berlin: Police say an early-morning fire at an apartment building in south-western Germany has left at least seven people dead.

Police spokesman Klaus Hinderer told news agency dpa that the cause of the fire in Backnang, a town near Stuttgart, wasn't immediately clear.

Authorities were alerted to the blaze at 4:30 am (local time) on Sunday. The fire was under control though not completely extinguished by mid-morning.