Tour Bus Rolls Over on Upstate New York Highway, Killing Multiple People, Police Say State Police responded to a devastating tour bus crash on [Highway Name] in [County, New York] this afternoon. The bus, carrying [Number] passengers and [Number] crew members, overturned at approximately [Time] near [Landmark or Mile Marker]. Multiple fatalities have been confirmed, though the exact number is still being determined by emergency responders. A number of additional passengers have suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. Initial reports suggest [brief, factual description of possible causes, e.g., "the bus may have lost control on a curve," or "adverse weather conditions may have been a contributing factor"]. State Police are working in conjunction with [mentioning any other agencies involved, e.g., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)] to reconstruct the event and determine the precise sequence of events leading to the rollover. Emergency personnel, including paramedics, fire crews, and numerous ambulances, rapidly responded to the scene. The injured passengers were transported to various hospitals across the region, with some airlifted to trauma centers. [If known, mention hospital names or regions]. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of their next of kin. State Police are working to contact families of passengers and crew members. The highway remains partially or fully closed in the vicinity of the accident. Drivers are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. [Mention any detours or traffic advisories issued by authorities]. This incident marks one of the deadliest bus crashes in recent years in Upstate New York. The investigation is expected to be lengthy and thorough. Further updates will be released as they become available.
Multiple people are dead after a tour bus with more than 50 passengers lost control and rolled over on a major highway in upstate New York on Friday, state police said.
The bus was traveling back to New York City from Niagara Falls, police said. It was going eastbound on the New York State Thruway near Pembroke, around 30 miles northeast of Buffalo and 40 miles southeast of Niagara Falls.
"For unknown reasons, the vehicle lost control, went into the median, over-corrected and ended up in the ditch" on the side of the road, state Trooper James O'Callaghan said. The bus was going full speed, but did not hit any other vehicle, he said.
There were "multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries," O'Callaghan said. At least one child was believed to be among the fatalities, he said.
The bus was carrying 52 people, including the driver, according to a passenger manifest provided to police by the bus company. The total number of deaths and injuries was still being determined, O'Callaghan said.
The Erie County Medical Center, a level 1 adult trauma center, said it had received 24 patients from the crash scene, including two in surgery and two who were in the intensive care unit.
Mercy Flight, a nonprofit emergency air medical transport provider, said it had taken multiple patients by air to hospitals.
The nationalities of most of the people on the bus were Indian, Chinese and Philippine, O'Callaghan said.
The New York State Thruway was closed in both directions between exits 48A and 49 due to the crash.
"Please avoid all local roads near the scene as traffic is being diverted off of the Thruway (Interstate 90) in both directions," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz .
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul she had been briefed on "the tragic tour bus accident" on the thruway.
"My team is coordinating closely with @nyspolice and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved," she wrote on X.
