BERLIN

At least three people died and more than a dozen others were injured in a house fire in western Germany, authorities said on Monday.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of the day on the first floor of a four-story house in Solingen and quickly went out of control, a fire department spokesman told public broadcaster WDR.

At least 16 people had been rescued, nine of whom were taken to hospital, including two in serious condition, according to the spokesman. Several others were treated on-site for smoke inhalation and slight injuries.

Local media reported that the old building's wooden stairs quickly burst into flames during the fire, people in the upper floors were trapped, and some of them tried to jump out of windows to save their lives.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. The police said an investigation was underway in cooperation with other state authorities.