The burning van veered into a sidewalk in Shanghai on Feburary 2, 2018.(File photos)

18 people were injured, three of them seriously, when a van veered into a sidewalk and caught fire outside a Starbucks outlet in Shanghai on Friday morning.

Three gas tanks could be seen in the van. "There are gas tanks in the vehicle. The van caught fire, but the gas tanks are safe. It was carrying six people. The face of a female was badly burnt as she was rescued from the van", a witness said.

According to the preliminary investigations, a suspect surnamed Chen, who was driving the van illegally transporting the tanks is in hospital, Shanghai Police said, the fire may have started as the driver was smoking. 

All the injured have been taken to hospital and their lives are out of danger, police added.