A three-vehicle collision on the Seward Highway near Indian killed one person and left 14 injured Thursday afternoon, Alaska State Troopers said.

The crash -- which included a fully loaded passenger van -- closed the highway until late evening, said troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

"It's a very narrow stretch of road, and we're dealing with a lot of people," Peters said late Thursday.

Two vehicles collided head-on at about 1:40 p.m. near Mile 103 of the highway, Peters said. Another vehicle soon struck the other two, she said.

A large van appeared to be involved in the initial head-on collision, Peters said. As of 6 p.m., Peters did not have descriptions of the other two vehicles, she said.

One of the vehicles burst into flames, said Al Tamagni, a spokesman for the Anchorage Fire Department.

Firefighters from Anchorage and Girdwood worked to free victims from at least one vehicle and possibly another, Tamagni said.

Peters said three people suffered serious injuries, and one later died. Two were trapped in a vehicle, she said. Another 12 people were injured, Peters said.

A helicopter flew to the accident scene to transport victims, Tamagni said.

In addition to the crash victims, Peters said an onlooker climbing on nearby rocks to help a victim, fell and broke a leg.

"We already have a large number of people who need medical attention," Peters said. "We really don't want to divert resources away from this collision."

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.