At least nine people have been killed and a number of others injured in a shooting at a school in the southern Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, the city’s mayor said.

Graz Mayor Elke Kahr, quoted by Austrian news agency APA, said many injured had also been taken to hospital following the shooting, which she called a "terrible tragedy".

Kronen Zeitung newspaper said the death toll was at least eight and that at least 10 others had been seriously injured. Police gave no initial toll but said "several" people were dead.

The reports did not specify how many of the dead were pupils. Ambulances were on the scene outside the school.

A local police spokesman said the area had been secured. People had been evacuated from the school and relatives of the victims and pupils were being cared for, he said.

"There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead," he told Austrian television.

Kronen Zeitung said a suspect had been found dead in a bathroom. Reuters could not immediately confirm this.

Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.

Machine guns and pump action guns are banned, while the ownership of revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed only with official authorization. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms license or a valid hunting licence, or for members of traditional shooting clubs.

-Agencies