A 65-year-old Indian man was one of five people who died in a tragic tour bus accident in western New York on Friday. The bus was carrying a total of 54 passengers, including tourists from China and the Philippines, and was en route from Niagara Falls back to New York City.
On Saturday, the New York State Police released the names of the victims. They were identified as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Madhubani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Columbia University student from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Police stated that the driver, 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, New York, showed no signs of impairment. Furthermore, a preliminary inspection found no mechanical issues with the vehicle. Authorities have indicated that the driver became distracted, which led to the crash.
The accident occurred approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Buffalo. The bus, a 2005 Van Wool Bus and Coach owned by M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, New York, was traveling eastbound on the I-90.
According to a statement from the New York State Police, the bus "exited the roadway into the median then abruptly corrected causing the bus to overturn and roll off the I-90 on the south embankment." As a result, multiple passengers were ejected from the vehicle, and five people were pronounced dead at the scene. Numerous individuals were injured and were transported to several hospitals, including Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban, and UMMR in Batavia. Mercy Flight and various emergency medical services and first responders were on the scene to assist.
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