HOUSTON - A 17-year-old student was stabbed dead and three others were injured during a fight at a high school in the US state of Texas early Wednesday, local media reported.

The stabbing happened at 7:10 am local time in a hallway leading to a cafeteria on the Spring High School campus in Houston area, according to the real-time report of the Houston Chronicle.

One student died on the spot and a 16-year-old boy in critical condition was flown by Life Flight medical helicopter to a medical center. The boy's parents told reporters that he is expected to survive.

Two other students suffered minor injuries and one of them has been discharged from hospital, the report said.

Earlier, other media reports suggested the number of the injured could be more. Witnesses told KHOU 11 News as many as five people were stabbed.

Officials said all the victims are students. Three students have been detained by authorities. But it's not clear at this point if they were suspects in the stabbing.

No details have been revealed about the circumstances of the campus stabbing. Unconfirmed reports on Twitter indicated it was possibly a gang fight.

According to police, a confrontation escalated into a fight, during which weapons were pulled out and the deadly incident occurred. It's not known what weapons were used and investigators have so far not found them.

A spokesman for the family of one of the victims said the incident was part of an ongoing battle between a group of young man of "different races," indicating the attack could be racially tinged.

A student said he knew something was wrong when nurses were called for over the loud speaker. The teen described the situation as "chaotic" and said students were "freaking out."

The school was on lockdown all morning as the campus was still considered an active crime scene investigation.

Shortly after noon, students were allowed to exit from the back of the school building to be picked up at a stadium parking lot. No one was allowed to walk on campus.

The school has about 3,000 students. Authorities said they will provide additional security at the high school for the next few days.