A tragic tour bus crash on the New York State Thruway in western New York has left five people dead and dozens injured, according to state police. The bus, carrying 52 passengers, was traveling eastbound from Niagara Falls toward New York City when it lost control near Pembroke, about 30 miles east of Buffalo, veered into the median, and overturned into a ditch.
Authorities said most of the passengers were tourists from India, China, and the Philippines, ranging in age from one to 74. Initial reports suggested a child was among the fatalities, but police later clarified that was not the case.
Emergency responders, including ambulances and medical helicopters, rushed to the scene. Several passengers were thrown from the bus during the crash, while others were trapped inside the wreckage for hours. Police noted that many victims were not wearing seatbelts at the time.
Twenty-four adults were admitted to a nearby hospital, with doctors saying they are expected to recover fully. Children under 16 who survived were transferred to a children’s hospital. Translators and translation devices were deployed to assist families and medical staff as language barriers emerged during treatment and investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences, saying local officials are “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved.”
At a press briefing, New York State Police troop commander Andre Ray Major confirmed that neither mechanical failure nor operator impairment caused the accident. The driver has cooperated fully with investigators, and no charges have been filed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Witnesses described the harrowing aftermath. Powell Stephens, who passed the scene, told The Buffalo News: “There was glass all over the road and people’s stuff scattered everywhere. The windows were all shattered.”
In response to the high number of injuries, ConnectLife, a local blood provider, issued an urgent call for donations, while the Red Cross opened a family reunification center to help reconnect children and parents taken to different hospitals.
Authorities are now appealing for drivers with dashcam footage of the crash to come forward as the investigation continues.
