Two people have died after a truck struck several people in southern Germany, police say.

The 63-year old truck driver struck a group of five people close to the railway station in downtown Passau, police said in a statement.

A 37-year-old woman died of her injuries at the site.

Her 11-year-old daughter died in hospital on Friday afternoon, police said.

Three other pedestrians were injured, among them the nine-year-old son of the killed woman.

The truck driver was also injured and initially taken to a hospital.

He was later discharged and taken into police custody on Friday afternoon.

A spokeswoman told German news agency DPA that police are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation”.

Police said an investigation was ongoing.

—AAP