Seven people, including five Chinese nationals, were killed and eight injured after a van carrying more than a dozen tourists collided with a pickup truck in a fiery highway crash near Yellowstone National Park.

The eight hurt in the crash in the US state of Idaho were Chinese nationals, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Beijing's consulate general in San Francisco, which also said it was providing assistance to the injured and the families of the victims.

Beijing has requested a report from Washington on the incident, adding that it would continue to follow up on the incident.

Detectives probing the crash said a pickup truck collided with a van carrying 14 people on Thursday evening by Henry's Lake in eastern Idaho.

"Tragically, six individuals in the van and the driver of the pickup died as a result of the crash," Idaho State Police said in a statement on Friday.

Police said an air ambulance was called in to ferry victims to hospitals "due to the severity of the injuries." (Additional reporting by AFP)