A head-on collision of vehicles on a New Zealand highway killed three South Korean skiers and seriously injured two other people, local police and South Korean sports officials said.

The van and a four-wheel-drive vehicle were traveling in opposite directions before crashing at an intersection near the rural South Island town of Geraldine, the district’s police inspector Vicki Walker said.

The collision Wednesday killed three of the van’s passengers and critically injured another person who was traveling with them, Walker said. The driver of the four-wheel-drive was also seriously injured and both survivors were airlifted to Christchurch Hospital, she said.

New Zealand and South Korean authorities didn’t identify the crash victims.

Shim Hye-min, an official from South Korea’s Sport and Olympic Committee, said the three victims who died were South Korean ski athletes who were visiting New Zealand for training. The committee and South Korea’s Ski and Snowboard Association didn’t immediately provide more information.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it was providing consular assistance but did not provide further details. (AP)