Police identified the five people who were killed in a tour bus crash in western New York on Friday.
New York State Police said in a news release on Saturday that Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Columbia University student Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55 of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City, died in the crash.
Columbia University said in a statement Saturday: “We are devastated by the death of one of our students, Xie Hongzhuo, in the tragic bus accident near Buffalo on Friday.”
“This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community. We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support,” the statement continued, noting counseling services are available to students. “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy.”
The tour bus, which was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City, careened out of control and fell on its side along an interstate parkway near Buffalo around 12:45 p.m. Friday.
The bus was carrying 54 people, including the driver and a tour guide. Some of the occupants were ejected from and trapped under the bus, according to authorities.
Dozens of the occupants were hospitalized for their injuries, including several children.
Erie County Medical Center, where 21 passengers were hospitalized for injuries, said that 14 patients remain at the hospital as of Saturday afternoon, but remain in stable condition.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve any other vehicles.
However, they said on Friday they believe the driver, Bin Shao, 55 of Flushing, New York, “became distracted, lost control, and overcorrected.” Shao “had no signs of impairment and the tour bus had no mechanical failure,” 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. The I-90 has a speed limit of 65 mph.
It does not appear that the driver has been accused of or charged with any crimes.
A National Transportation Safety Board team was launched Friday to investigate the crash. The scope of the investigation will include the crash site, the mechanical condition of the bus, highway design, and the driver — including fatigue distraction and qualifications.
At a Saturday news conference the NTSB asked witnesses or anyone with video footage to contact the agency.
The tour company operating the vehicle, M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, has not returned requests for comment.
Marlene Lenthang and Samantha Cookinham contributed.
