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Police identified the five people who were killed in a tour bus crash in western New York on Friday.
The New York State Police reported in a news release on Saturday that the crash claimed the lives of Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, from East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, a 22-year-old Columbia University student from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, from Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, also from Jersey City.
The accident occurred when a tour bus traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City went out of control and toppled over on its side on an interstate highway near Buffalo.
The bus had 54 passengers on board, and several people were thrown out or trapped beneath it, as stated by authorities. Many were hospitalized due to their injuries, including multiple children.
Erie County Medical Center reported that 21 of the injured passengers were admitted to their facility. As of Saturday afternoon, 14 people remain hospitalized but are in stable condition.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve any other vehicles.
The authorities mentioned on Friday that the driver, 55-year-old Bin Shao from Flushing, New York, likely got distracted, which led to the loss of control of the bus followed by an overcorrection. The investigation showed Shao had no impairment signs, and the bus itself did not experience mechanical issues, according to the news release.
Authorities added that the bus was at “full speed” during the crash, but did not specify how fast the vehicle was driving.
It does not appear that the driver has been accused of or charged with any crimes.
The tour company operating the vehicle, M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, has not returned requests for comment.
