At least 36 people were injured, one of them seriously, after a Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) bus crashed into several vehicles and ended up embedded in a FedEx building Wednesday afternoon in Pikesville, Maryland.

The accident occurred shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Reisterstown Road, in a section between Old Court Road and McHenry Avenue. So far, authorities have not determined what caused the incident, CBS reported.

According to Baltimore County Fire Department Chief Joseph Dixon, the bus struck a total of 11 vehicles before going out of control and crashing into the building. Some cars suffered severe damage and one of them ended up flipped on its roof.

The bus driver suffered life-threatening injuries.

Baltimore County Police reported that the 36 injured people were taken to area hospitals. Among them is the bus driver, who remains in critical condition due to the severity of his injuries.

During the emergency work, several victims were evacuated on stretchers and the impact also brought down power lines, which complicated the tasks of the rescue teams.

The fire chief described the magnitude of the accident as a multiple casualty event.

"It's more like a war scene. An incident like this, when we have what we call a mass casualty event, it overwhelms resources," Dixon stated.

Witnesses helped the victims after the impact

Daisy Flores, an employee at a nearby pizzeria, said she and other workers immediately went out to help those affected.

"It was a very sad scene to see. We offered them water and asked if they needed help, but they were in shock and couldn't speak," he said.

Another witness said that the bus hit vehicle after vehicle before knocking down a telephone pole and ending up against the building.

State authorities are closely monitoring the investigation

Maryland Governor Wes Moore reported that his administration maintains communication with Baltimore County authorities to provide the necessary support.

"Dawn and I keep all those affected in our thoughts and prayers. We are deeply grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and professionally to protect our neighbors," the president said in a statement.

For his part, Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones said his prayers are with the victims and their families.

Authorities fully reopened traffic on Reisterstown Road early Thursday morning while the investigation continues to determine the cause of the accident.