In a heartbreaking incident, seven people have tragically lost their lives in a devastating crash involving a tour bus and a truck on a highway leading to the iconic Yellowstone National Park.

The accident occurred on Thursday in eastern Idaho, where a Chevy pickup collided with a van carrying 14 tourists. Eight additional passengers were injured in the collision, some suffering severe injuries that necessitated air ambulance transport to local hospitals.

Both vehicles were engulfed in flames after the collision. According to Idaho State Police, six occupants of the van, along with the driver of the pickup, perished in the fiery wreck. Details regarding the victims’ identities and nationalities have not yet been disclosed.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of this tragic event, which took place just as Yellowstone is entering its peak tourist season.

A witness to the crash, local resident Roger Merrill, captured a harrowing photo of the scene, showing flames and smoke billowing from the wreckage. Merrill reported witnessing bystanders attempting to assist survivors alongside the highway.

He described the highway as notoriously hazardous, particularly due to its role as a main access route to Yellowstone. "It's extremely busy," he remarked.

Emergency crews worked diligently for over seven hours, treating victims and clearing the wreckage from the road approximately 16 miles from Yellowstone’s entrance.

The local coroner's office will publicly release the names of the deceased victims once their families have been informed.

Yellowstone National Park, the oldest national park in the United States, spans nearly 3,500 square miles across Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, drawing an impressive average of four million visitors each year, particularly between May and September.