Tour bus from Niagara Falls overturns in New York; 5 dead, dozens injured

At least five people were killed and dozens more injured when a tour bus carrying more than 50 passengers overturned on Interstate 90 in western New York, according to officials.

New York State Police officials said the crash occurred on Friday in the town of Pembroke, Genesee County, between exits 48A and 49. The tour bus was carrying 54 people at the time of the accident, including two operators.

The bus, chartered from New York City and returning from Niagara Falls, lost control before veering into the median and overturning on the south shoulder of the highway, officials said. Authorities believe the driver became distracted, lost control, and then overcorrected.

New York State Police Trooper O’Callaghan said there were “multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries,” initially indicating that at least one child was believed to have died. Officials later confirmed five people were pronounced dead at the scene and said no children were among the victims.

An official at Erie County Medical Center said 24 patients from the crash had been transported to the hospital. Twenty were receiving treatment and evaluation in the emergency department and trauma center, two were taken to the operating room, and several were admitted to the trauma intensive care unit.

Other passengers were taken to local hospitals, though the total number remains unknown. Officials said none of the reported injuries are life-threatening.

Passengers on the bus included citizens from India, China, the Philippines, the Middle East, and the United States, and translators were brought to the scene. Officials said the passengers ranged in age from 1 to 74.

Trooper O’Callaghan said most passengers were likely not wearing seatbelts, which may have contributed to “many” being ejected during the crash. State police said the investigation is ongoing.