Three German nationals were killed on Saturday afternoon in a light aircraft crash near Malaga in southern Spain, AFP reported.

The plane was flying from the southeastern town of Muchamiel to Granada in the south, and crashed in a mountainous area some 80 kilometers from its final destination.

"Initial identification via their ID indicates they were German, but authorities are in contact with the consulate," said a spokeswoman for the central government's representative office in Malaga province.

The bodies have been removed from the site of the accident and airlifted to a local morgue.

The cause of the incident remains unclear. Authorities are investigating various possibilities, including whether the plane was forced to deviate from its course due to high winds.