Chinese and Italian tourists killed in crash near Yellowstone

Chinese and Italian tourists were reportedly among seven killed in a collision between a tour bus and a truck near Yellowstone National Park on Thursday.

Eight others were injured when a Chevy pickup truck and a Mercedes passenger van carrying 14 sightseers crashed on a highway in eastern Idaho, said US police. Both vehicles caught fire.

Five Chinese tourists died in the Mercedes van, according to Chinese state media. But a local coroner said two Italian tourists also died, along with a Texas resident who was driving the Chevy pickup, which would amount to eight fatalities.

Police are still investigating the cause. The route where the crash took place leads into the park, which is now entering peak tourist season.

"Tragically, six individuals in the van and the driver of the pickup died as a result of the crash," Idaho State Police said on Friday.

Five of the dead are citizens of China, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a statement from the Chinese consulate in San Francisco.

"The consulate expressed deep condolences for the dead and sincere sympathy to the injured and the families of those affected," Xinhua reported.

It added that Chinese officials had been in contact with the injured and the families of victims, and had asked US officials for a thorough investigation.

Fremont County coroner Brenda Dye told the New York Times that two victims were from Italy.

She also identified Isaiah Moreno, 25, of Texas, as the driver of the pickup truck. No other victims' identities have yet been disclosed.

The BBC has contacted Idaho State Police for clarity on the discrepancy on the death toll.

Idaho Governor Brad Little posted on X to say that he was praying for victims, and that his state was "working closely with local officials to get answers on what led to this terrible tragedy".

Police said an air ambulance flew some victims to hospital "due to the severity of the injuries".

A photo from a passerby near Yellowstone shows flames and billowing smoke near the wreck of the truck.

The witness who took the photo, local resident Roger Merrill, said he was on his way home when he saw the wreck.

Both vehicles were on fire, he said, and bystanders were trying to care for the survivors on the side of the highway.

"It is a very dangerous highway because it leads to the main entrance of Yellowstone National Park," he said. "It's extremely busy."

The road was closed for seven hours while emergency teams treated victims and cleared the crash site, about 16 miles (25km) from Yellowstone's entrance.

The oldest US national park, it covers nearly 3,500 sq miles in three states: Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

It draws an average of four million tourists every year, with the majority of visitors coming between May and September, according to the National Park Service.