Police say two Germans and a French tourist died in Australian road crash

Two Germans and a French tourist were killed when their minibus collided with a sports utility vehicle in northeastern Australia, police said Sunday.

Another six tourists from Germany, France, South Korea, Canada and England were injured and taken to hospital after the accident Saturday at an intersection 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of the coastal town of Bundaberg in Queensland state, police said in a statement. Both Australians in the SUV were also hospitalized, and one of them was in critical condition, police said.

A 21-year-old woman and 19-year-old man from Germany were killed, as well as a 27-year-old French woman, police said.

Ambulance spokesman Patrick Denham said the three were all sitting at the front of the bus and that one of them was driving.

Some of the injured were airlifted to hospital with head and spinal injuries, police said.

"It is believed the nine people traveling in the bus were backpackers on a working holiday," the police statement said.

Rescue authorities said they had been employed to pick fruit.

Bundaberg police officer Ron Menthes said circumstances surrounding the crash were still unclear but investigations were continuing, Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio reported.