(loonatic, Creative Commons)

Robert Brown, Boston University’s president, stated:

“This is a horrible tragedy…Our prayers go out to the students and their families. We will do all we can to provide comfort and assistance to those who have been injured, and to the families and friends of the victims. The university is mobilizing all of our resources to help our students and families deal with this tragedy.”

According to the New York Daily News, 16 students split in two minivans were on their way to the Tongariro Crossing in the central part of North Island. One of the minivans drifted to the side of the rode and the driver over-corrected, causing the minivan to roll over. Some of the students were “flung out of the vehicle.”

The Boston Globe reports that “on the BU campus in Boston late Friday night, students reacted with sorrow as word spread about the students’ deaths.”

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