A fire at a refugee shelter in eastern Germany killed one person and injured at least 10 others early on Sunday.

Police in the German state of Thuringia said the fire broke out at around 5am at a facility in the city of Apolda and that one person had died.

A nine-year-old child was reported missing, police said. They did not say if the recovered body belonged to a child.

Germany Refugee Shelter
Refugees are evacuated after a fire broke out in a refugee shelter in Apolda, Germany (Michael Reichel/dpa via AP/PA)

The shelter, which housed 250 people, was evacuated and residents were taken to another refugee centre in nearby Hermsdorf, a local government spokesperson told German news agency dpa.

Police told dpa that 10 people were injured in the fire.

Writing on Twitter, German interior minister Nancy Faeser called the incident “terrible news.” She confirmed an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the fire.