A 17-vehicle crash in Austin, Texas, United States, has left five people dead, including a child and an infant.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Officials said that of the 12 people who were injured, three were children.

Fox News reports that the massive pileup, involving a semi-truck, unfolded late Thursday night along I-35 in the North Austin area, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.

The agency said several people were “pinned in their vehicles” following the wreck.

“Five patients (three adults, one child, one infant) have been pronounced deceased on scene,” Austin-Travis County EMS wrote on X.

The portion of I-35 southbound where the crash happened appeared to be closed early Friday morning.

“All lanes of N IH 35 SB are shut down and will be for several hours. Please avoid the area, expect delays, and find alternate routes,” the Austin Police Department wrote on X.

Austin-Travis County EMS Captain Christa Stedman told CBS Austin that, “This incident was incredibly chaotic, and it was spread out over about a tenth of a mile.

“So, without the collaboration of our partners, we would not have been able to manage the scene as well as we did,” she added.