Car crash claims lives of three Koreans on skiing trip in New Zealand's South Island

Three Koreans were killed in a head-on car crash in New Zealand on Wednesday, according to local reports and diplomatic sources.

First responders stand in front of the crash site on New Zealand's South Island. [SCREEN CAPTURE / THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD]

Three Koreans were killed in a head-on car crash in New Zealand on Wednesday, according to local reports and diplomatic sources.

The accident involving two vehicles occurred in the Aoraki region of New Zealand’s South Island and resulted in three dead and one heavily injured.

Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday that one of the casualties was a Korean skiing coach, while the other two crash victims were alpine skiers. Another member of the skiing group remains alive but in critical condition.

The Korean Foreign Ministry declined to share the personal details of the victims to maintain privacy.

The New Zealand Herald said the crash happened at around 3:15 p.m. on State Highway 79 in the region.

It was reported that the victims were visiting the country for overseas training and sports events.

The Korea Ski and Snowboard Association said that the three crash victims were not national team members, despite previous reports from New Zealand media outlets stating the skiers were from the national team.

The Korean mission in New Zealand said Thursday it is providing consular services to the victims’ families.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]