The scene on Thursday at the Aurora Bridge north of downtown Seattle where a "Ride the Ducks" tour vehicle crashed into the side of a charter bus, killing four international students, one of them Chinese. PROVIDED BY SEATTLE TIMES

Federal and state transportation inspectors on Friday began investigating the crash of a "Ride the Ducks" tour vehicle into the side of a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge north of downtown Seattle, killing four international students, one of them Chinese, and injuring dozens of others.

The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco confirmed late Thursday that a Chinese student was among the four killed when the tour vehicle crashed into the bus at 11:15 a.m. (PDT) on Thursday.

Ron Chow, a representative of the Chinese consulate, said 48 students from six countries were involved and all of the dead were students at North Seattle College.

The president of North Seattle College identified the three other dead students as being from Japan, Indonesia and Austria. The school said it was working to contact their families.

The passengers on the bus were part of a new-student orientation group heading to tour Seattle.

"We’ve had a terrible tragedy," Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said during a news briefing about two hours after the crash. "The thoughts and prayers of this city go out to everyone ¬— the families and those impacted."

Murray said the city has been in touch with the governor's office and the US State Department to assist families of the victims.