NEW YORK - Police said five people are dead in a crash involving a tour bus headed to New York City on the New York Thruway on Friday.
What we know:
According to police, the bus – with more than 50 passengers onboard – lost control and rolled over near Pembroke, about 30 miles east of Buffalo. People inside were ejected as the windows shattered.
"Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn," police said in a statement.
"The driver is alive and well," Trooper James O’Callaghan, a spokesperson for the New York State Police, said. "We’re working with him. We believe we have a good idea of what happened, why the bus lost control."
Children were also on board. It was initially believed that a child had passed away, but further investigation deemed that conclusion to be false, according to a New York State police commander.
Some children were transported to the hospital, but none are currently dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending a go-team to conduct a safety investigation into the crash.
Most passengers were of Indian, Chinese and Filipino ethnicity, and translators were being brought to the scene. Police also said the bus was returning to New York City after a trip to Niagara Falls.
During a press conference around 4:30 p.m., Erie County Medical Center doctors said 20 patients actively receiving treatment. Several were treated for trauma, including head injuries and fractures, and two were undergoing surgery, including for a "severe extremity injury."
All are expected to recover, doctors said.
What they're saying:
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post on X that she has been briefed on the situation.
Senator Chuck Schumer is also monitoring the situation.
What we don't know:
The cause of the crash has not been determined yet.
The Source: This article includes reporting from Fox News, WGRX and WIVBTV, as well as information provided by the New York State Police.