In Sauerland, three people died in a head-on collision between two cars. A fourth person had been taken to hospital seriously injured, said a police spokeswoman.
The cars collided on the main road between Finnentrop and Lenhausen (North Rhine-Westphalia). According to WDR, a total of 70 rescue teams were on the scene.
The federal highway 236 was closed after the accident. A rescue helicopter could not be used due to the weather conditions. The investigations into the accident have taken over the prosecutor Siegen.