A 53-year-old suspect has been detained after the shooting in Sindelfingen, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in the nearby city of Stuttgart said.

The force earlier said one person had died and one was severely injured. It is not clear if the person who was injured is the second employee to have been killed.

Mercedes has said the people involved in the shooting were employed by an external service provider.

Police received the first emergency calls at around 7.45am local time (6.45am UK time) on Thursday, a police spokeswoman told the German news agency dpa.

The suspect's motive is unclear.

Police tweeted earlier: "There is currently a police operation on the factory premises. Police and rescue workers are on duty.

"There is no danger to the population."

Mercedes Benz earlier confirmed an incident had taken place in Sindelfingen and it was in touch with authorities.

The company said in a statement: "We are in contact with the authorities and are trying to clarify the facts.

"The safety of the employees comes first."

The sprawling Sindelfingen works employ around 35,000 workers producing E-Class and S-Class luxury sedans and CLS and GLC coupes, according to the company's website. It also houses planning, purchasing and development and design departments.