Three American students killed in New Zealand road crash

Three U.S. students from Boston University, who were studying abroad, were killed when their van crashed near Tongariro National Park in New Zealand’s central North Island, police say. Three other students were in the hospital, with one in critical condition. The students were taking courses at Auckland University and were among a group of 16 who had gone away in two vans for a hiking weekend.

The students were near the start of the admired Tongariro Crossing walk when one of the vans rolled over on Saturday. The cause of the accident is under investigation, according to Kevin Taylor, the road policing manager. Also on Saturday, another five American students were rescued from the Tongariro Crossing after a helicopter crew found them trapped and huddled together in icy conditions on the side of a mountain.