SHANGHAI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen people were injured, three seriously, after a minivan crashed into pedestrians in downtown Shanghai on Friday morning, local authorities said.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. near the People's Park in Huangpu District, according to the official account of the municipality on social networking site Weibo.

Witnesses said the vehicle caught fire before crashing into a fence in front of a coffee shop. The minivan driver, passengers and passers-by were among the injured.

The cause of the incident is being investigated.