BERLIN – At least four people were killed when a light aircraft and a medical helicopter crashed in Germany on Tuesday, local police reported.

The accident occurred when the two crashed midair over a rural area near the southwestern town of Philippsburg, in the Karlsruhe district.

It is as yet unclear if the medical helicopter was carrying emergency patients on board when it hit the plane.

Images by an epa photographer on the ground showed firefighters standing beside smoking wreckage, which was partially obscured by the tall plants growing in the field.

Karlsruhe police said several officers were deployed to the site, alongside firefighting trucks, rescue teams, ambulances and a rescue helicopter.

The epa images showed a police boat was also brought to the scene.