A people-carrier known as a mobile lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport struck a terminal dock on Monday at around 4 :30 p.m. local time, injuring at least eighteen people, according to the airport authority.

The vehicle, which transports passengers from the runway to the concourse, hit the dock “at an angle” as it pulled up at Concourse D, officials said.

Those aboard used stairs to evacuate and were taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

The airport operator confirmed that the airport remains open and operating as normal, despite the incident.

Video footage captured emergency crews at the scene, with ambulances and fire-rescue personnel assisting passengers.

Dulles maintains a fleet of nineteen mobile lounges, each capable of carrying up to one-hundred-two passengers and measuring approximately fifty-four feet long and sixteen feet wide.

The system, introduced in the early 1960s, has drawn scrutiny in recent years amid questions over ageing infrastructure and maintenance.

An internal investigation into the cause of the collision is under way, and authorities have yet to confirm how many passengers were aboard at the time of the crash.

This event adds to a history of incidents involving the mobile lounge system, though no fatalities were reported in Monday’s incident.