The three people killed in a road crash south of New Zealand North Island town of Turangi on Saturday morning were all young American students on an exchange program between Boston and Auckland universities, police said.

Those who died were Daniela Rosanna Lekhno, Roch Jauberty, and Austin Brashears. Their ages have yet to be confirmed.

Police say eight people altogether were in a people-mover that rolled on Lake Rotoaira Road (State Highway 46), which connects SH1 and SH47 south of the Tongariro National Park, at about 7.30 a. m. local time.

Several of them were thrown out, possibly - police said- because they were not wearing seatbelts.

A 21-year-old woman was taken by helicopter to Waikato Hospital in critical condition. Two women aged 20 and 21 remain in Rotorua Hospital in a stable condition, while a 21-year-old woman and a 21- year-old man were treated in Taupo Hospital and later discharged.

A second vehicle was travelling in convoy ahead of the one that crashed and its eight occupants were being cared for by police and emergency service workers in Turangi.

Police say the students in both vehicles were all on their way to walk the Tongariro Crossing.

Bay of Plenty road policing manager Kevin Taylor said early indications are that the second vehicle drifted left into roadside gravel and rolled several times after the driver overcorrected.

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