Authorities have released the identities of the five individuals who tragically lost their lives in a devastating tour bus crash in western New York on
Friday. The tour bus was en route from Niagara Falls to New York City when it veered off an interstate parkway near Buffalo, flipping onto its side. The vehicle was carrying 54 passengers at the time. Many were thrown from the bus or trapped underneath it, with dozens hospitalized, including several children. According to a statement from New York State Police, the victims are:
- Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India
- Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey
- Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a student at Columbia University from Beijing, China
- Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey
- Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City, New Jersey
Erie County Medical Center reported that 21 crash victims were brought in, and as of Saturday afternoon, 14 remained hospitalized in stable condition.
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Investigators say the bus driver, Bin Shao, 55, of Flushing, New York, may have become distracted, lost control, and overcorrected. They noted that there were no signs of impairment, no mechanical failures, and no other vehicles involved. The bus was reportedly traveling at “full speed” at the time of the crash, though an exact speed was not provided.
The tour company, M&Y Tour Inc., based in Staten Island, has not yet commented on the incident. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
