Washington, Oct. 25: At least 16 people are dead in multiple shootings in the US state of Maine, with a manhunt underway for the suspected gunman.

Fifty to 60 people are injured in the incidents in the city of Lewiston, though it's unclear how many are injured due to gunfire, sources told CNN.

A suspect remains at large, the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook.

Central Maine Medical Centre said on its website staff were "reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event" and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients.

Residents in Lewiston and neighbouring Auburn - with a combined population of over 60,000 people - have been advised to stay inside and lock their doors.

"We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate," the Lewiston sheriff's office said earlier on Wednesday evening.

Maine State Police also say they are responding to an active shooter situation in Lewiston in a post on Facebook.

The Sun Journal newspaper reported law enforcement responded to Sparetime Recreation, which is a bowling alley on Mollison Way, and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant on Lincoln Street.

Lewiston public information officer Derrick St Laurent told the Sun Journal newspaper another shooting was reported at the Walmart Distribution Center on Alfred A. Plourde Parkway in Lewiston.

Lewiston is about 57km north of Portland, Maine, and is the state's second-largest city.

Officials in the nearby city of Auburn, Maine, also "strongly urged" residents to shelter in place due to the ongoing active shooter situation, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter.-Agencies