5 killed in crash near Yellowstone National Park were Chinese nationals, SF consulate says

ISLAND PARK, Idaho -- Seven people were killed in a fiery crash between a van and a pickup truck on an eastern Idaho highway near Yellowstone National Park, officials said.

The Mercedes passenger van -- which was operating as a tour vehicle and carrying 14 people -- collided with the Dodge Ram pickup carrying one person around 7:15 p.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry's Lake, the Idaho State Police said. The van was traveling eastbound, toward Yellowstone National Park, while the truck was traveling westbound, police said.

Six people in the van -- all foreign nationals -- and the pickup driver died in the crash, police said.

The passengers in the van included 12 individuals of Chinese nationality and one of Italian nationality, the Idaho state police said Saturday. The group was traveling to Yellowstone National Park on an excursion organized by Ctour Holiday LLC, a large-scale receptive tour operator that provides international travel services.

The pickup truck driver was identified by the Fremont County Coroner's Office as 25-year-old Isaih Moreno of Humble, Texas, police said.

The names of the victims in the van will be released by the coroner once their families are notified, police said.

"Due to the complexity of the incident, the identification of all individuals involved and notification of their next of kin will take time," Idaho State Police said in a statement Friday afternoon

The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco said five of the deceased were Chinese nationals.

"The Consulate General immediately activated its emergency mechanism to provide consular protection and assistance to the injured and the families of the victims," a statement from the consulate said.

The Idaho State Police said the deceased will be transported to the Ada County Coroner's Office for autopsy and formal confirmation of identity.

"ISP troopers continue to work closely with Ctour Holiday LLC and remain in contact with the Consulates of China and Italy as the investigation progresses," the state police said.

Local resident Roger Merrill said he was driving home when he came upon the crash site just a few minutes after the accident apparently occurred.

"It had appeared they had maybe hit head-on -- catastrophic damage to both" vehicles, Merrill told ABC News.

"Good Samaritans had already come out to help. There were several other pickup trucks alongside the road that were assisting," he said.

"The fire did not start immediately -- there was no fire present for probably 10 to 15 minutes after I arrived. And I observed what appeared to be steam coming from the pickup," he said. "About that time, the first responder showed up, a member of the sheriff's department. I could see they were trying to put the fire out under the truck with a fire extinguisher, but the flames quickly spread and engulfed both vehicles within minutes."

All occupants involved in the crash were transported to hospitals, including three flown by air ambulance. The others were transported by ground ambulance with likely non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Two survivors have been hospitalized at Madison Memorial in stable condition; three others who suffered injuries were treated and released, according to a hospital official. Two patients were also taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, the hospital said.

The cause remains under investigation, police said.

Henry's Lake is about 17 miles from West Yellowstone, Montana, which is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

U.S. Highway 20 closed for nearly seven hours after the crash and has since reopened, police said.

The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco issued a statement writing:

"On the evening of May 1st, a tragic traffic accident occurred near the Yellowstone National Park in Idaho, the United States of America.
Preliminary reports indicate that five Chinese citizens were killed and eight others injured in the accident. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco expresses its deep condolences to those deceased and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families.
The Consulate General immediately activated its emergency mechanism to provide consular protection and assistance to the injured and the families of the victims.
It has reached out to the relevant US departments, requesting them to identify the cause of the accident as soon as possible and keep the Chinese side informed, spare no efforts in saving the injured and assisting the bereaved families to handle the aftermath.
We will continue to do our utmost with regard to follow-up issues."

ABC News' Jeffrey Cook and Alyssa Pone contributed to this report.