Two people have died and three others are fighting for their lives after a man armed with a machine gun opened fire in a packed German nightclub, according to reports.

Revellers fled from the Grey venue in the city of Konstanz near the Swiss border after the 34-year-old Iraqi attacker burst in and opened fire at 4.30am.

Special forces and a police helicopter were sent to the scene with the gunman 'put out of action' in minutes.

He is thought to have attempted to flee from the club after opening fire but he was tracked down by elite commando units.

The gunman was shot by police and later died - with an officer thought to have been hit by a bullet during the gunfight.

Two people have died and three others are fighting for their lives after a man armed with a machine gun opened fire in a packed German nightclub, according to reports. Police are pictured at the scene

Revellers fled from the Grey venue, pictured, in the city of Konstanz near the Swiss border after the 34-year-old attacker burst in and opened fire at 4.30am

The nightclub is thought to have been hosting a student night at the time of the incident.

The gunman is thought to have attempted to flee from the club after opening fire but he was tracked down by elite commando units

Police are pictured standing near the Grey club in Konstanz following the shooting

The gunman was shot by police and later died - with an officer (not pictured) thought to have been hit by a bullet during the gunfight

Witnesses described seeing victims covered in blood as they were taken to hospital where three people remain seriously injured.

Police have said that the shooter's motive is not yet known and it is not clear if he acted alone or with accomplices.

A spokesman added: 'There were casualties at the shooting. Visitors saved themselves by escaping into the open or hiding.'

The nightclub is thought to have been hosting a student night at the time of the incident.

A woman is comforted at the scene as police stand guard next to the Grey nightclub

Police said the incident was being treated as a 'possible relationship dispute' and not a terror attack

A police spokesman said: 'There were casualties at the shooting. Visitors saved themselves by escaping into the open or hiding'

Police said the incident was being treated as a 'possible relationship dispute' and not a terror attack.

They said the killer had been a long time resident of Konstanz.

On Friday, a failed asylum seeker killed one person and injured six others in the northern city of Hamburg.

Officials said he was an Islamist known to security forces and he had was psychologically unstable.