Yellowstone National Park: 7 Killed in Tour Bus Crash

Seven people have died after a tour van and a pick-up truck crashed near Yellowstone National Park, authorities said.

On Thursday, May 1, just before 7:15 p.m. local time, Idaho State Police responded to a crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry's Lake State Park — about 16 miles west of Yellowstone — officials said in a news release.

The truck and passenger van, operating as a small tour vehicle, were involved, the latter of which caught fire after the collision.

State police later clarified in an updated press release on Friday, May 2, that the van was carrying 14 people, and the truck's driver was its sole occupant. Six of the van passengers and the truck driver died.

Survivors of the crash were transported to nearby hospitals, police spokesman Arron Snell said, according to the Associated Press.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, and U.S. Highway 20 was completely closed to the public after the collision for "nearly seven hours" as authorities examined the scene, Idaho State Police said. The road is now open for regular use.

The Fremont County Coroner's Office is expected to share the names of the deceased victims, as well as the cause and manner of death for each individual, after the next of kin have been contacted, authorities said. Because of the "magnitude of the incident," no additional information about those killed has been released yet.

Roger Merrill was driving home and witnessed the scene shortly after the crash occurred, he told the AP. He took a video of the collision's aftermath, showing smoke covering the van and both vehicles engulfed in flames.

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Merrill said he waited for first responders to arrive as bystanders attempted to care for the victims.

"It is a very dangerous highway because it leads to the main entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It's extremely busy," he shared, adding, "It took an unnervingly long time for help to arrive just because of the location."