Six Chinese tourists were killed after a bus rolled over on a state highway in north of Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday, the Chinese embassy in New Zealand said.

中国驻新西兰大使馆表示，周三，一辆巴士在新西兰北岛罗托鲁阿北部的一条国道上翻车，造成6名中国游客死亡。

The bus was carrying a total of 23 Chinese tourists when it rolled over on a road that was slippery due to bad weather. Seventeen of the tourists were injured and sent to nearby hospitals, the embassy said in a statement.

由于天气恶劣，这辆巴士在一条很滑的路上翻车时，车上共有23名中国游客。大使馆在一份声明中说，17名游客受伤，被送往附近的医院。
New Zealand police later said at a press conference that there were 27 people on the bus at the time of the crash, and the driver is not seriously injured.

新西兰警方随后在新闻发布会上说，车祸发生时车上有27人，司机伤势不重。

Police confirmed the crash only involved one vehicle and saw the medium-sized tourist bus flip over to the driver's side.

警方证实，事故只涉及一辆汽车，并证实中型旅游车翻到了司机一侧。

The highway is still closed as police are working to remove the bus.

高速公路仍处于关闭状态，警方正在努力将巴士移走。

An investigation into the cause of the incident has opened, police told reporters.

警方告诉记者，对事件原因的调查已经展开。

Earlier, photos on social media showed survivors emerging from the crash site wrapped in blankets, escorted by police officers.

早些时候，社会媒体上的照片显示，在警察的陪同下，幸存者裹着毯子从事故现场走出来。

The Chinese embassy said it had launched an emergency plan to provide support and assistance to the recovery work of the Chinese nationals. Wu Xi, Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, is heading to the scene.

中国大使馆表示，已启动应急预案，为中国公民的善后工作提供支持和帮助。中国驻新西兰大使吴玺正在赶赴现场。