SEVEN people have died after a tourist bus smashed into a pickup truck and burst into flames near Yellowstone National Park.
Horror footage shows desperate officials trying to extinguish the fireball which erupted on a “dangerous highway” in eastern Idaho.
Seven people have died after a tour bus smashed into a pickup truck near Yellowstone National ParkAP
The driver of the red pickup truck tragically died due to the crashAP
APBoth vehicles were seen up in flames as panicked onlookers and cops tried to save those involved[/caption]
The van was carrying 14 tourists on board when it crashed into a red pickup truck on a highway on Thursday.
Six of the tourists died along with the driver of the truck, Idaho State Police confirmed.
They added that eight others were rushed to hospital in an air ambulance “due to the severity of the injuries”.
A pair of brave onlookers who witnessed the initial collision managed to pull the eight survivors from the bus wreckage before it burst into flames.
One of those saved was a child, cops said.
The late driver of the van was identified as 25-year-old Isaiah Moreno.
The six other victims are said to be unrecognizable due to their severe injuries and will require DNA testing to identify them, Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye told the New York Times.
The nationalities of the victims are yet to be revealed but all the tourists are believed to be from outside of the US.
Police confirmed they have opened up investigations into the tragic accident.
The crash took place at around 7.15pm near to Henry’s Lake State Park which sits only 16 miles from Yellowstone.
Local resident Roger Merrill saw the flames as he drove home from work.
He told CBS News the stretch of road is known for being “extremely busy” at this time of year due to an influx of tourists to the park.
Merrill said: “It is a very dangerous highway because it leads to the main entrance of Yellowstone National Park.”
Highway 20 was closed from both directions until the early hours of Friday morning as emergency crews accessed the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office has urged drivers to avoid the area and to expect severe delays into the weekend.
It comes as three children and a teenager were killed after a car crashed into an after-school camp earlier this week.
Six others were left injured, one critically, following the horror smash in Chatham, Illinois, on Monday afternoon.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
IDOTA flash of light can be seen on the highway after the incident occurred around 7:15 pm on Thursday[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
