 "Emergency personnel work at the site of the crash on 23 August 2025. AP")
At least five people were killed on Friday when a tourist bus crashed on a New York state highway, police said. The bus, carrying 54 passengers back to New York City, veered off near Pembroke, about 40 km east of Buffalo, after the driver reportedly became distracted. Among the victims was Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Bihar, India.
Authorities confirmed that those killed included people of Indian and Chinese origin. On Saturday (Aug 23), New York State Police commander Major Andre Ray said five people had died, but no other passenger was in life-threatening condition. Several others were treated for minor injuries and released.
According to ABC News, the victims have been identified as:
Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Bihar, India
Pinki Changrani, 60, from East Brunswick, New Jersey
Xie Hongxhuo, 22, from Beijing, China
Zhang Xiaolan, 55, from Jersey City, New Jersey
Jian Mingli, 56, from Jersey City, New Jersey
The crash occurred just after 12:20 pm (local time). Earlier reports suggesting children were among the dead were later corrected by officials.
“It’s believed the operator became distracted, lost control, overcorrected and ended up… over there,” said Major Ray, pointing to the wreckage.
He added that mechanical error, impairment, or intoxication were not factors in the crash. The driver survived and is cooperating with investigators. No charges have been filed.
“The driver is alive and well — we’re working with him. We believe we have a good idea of what happened, why the bus lost control. We just want to make sure that all the details are thoroughly vetted,” a police spokesman told AFP.