Victims identified in New York bus crash; passenger from Madhubani among dead

New York State Police on Saturday released the names of five passengers who died after a tour bus traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City overturned on the New York State Thruway near Buffalo on Friday afternoon.

The deceased include Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhubani in India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, and Jian Mingli, 56, both of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a student from Beijing at Columbia University. Their ages ranged from 22 to 65.

The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. near Pembroke, about 30 miles east of Buffalo. The bus, carrying 54 people, entered the median before overturning and rolling into an embankment, police said. Several passengers were ejected from the vehicle, while others were trapped beneath it. Authorities noted that many passengers were not wearing seatbelts at the time.


According to an NYT report, hospitals in Buffalo, Rochester, and Batavia received dozens of injured passengers. Erie County Medical Center treated 21 people, with 11 still admitted on Saturday, including five in intensive care. Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester received six patients, two of whom were in critical condition. Other passengers were treated at Rochester Regional Health, United Memorial Medical Center, and Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Maj. Andre J. Ray of the state police said investigators believe the driver, identified as Bin Shao, 55, of Queens, became distracted and lost control of the bus. The accident did not appear to involve mechanical failure or driver impairment. The bus was the only vehicle involved in the incident.

The bus operator, M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, was found to have a safety record slightly better than the industry average. Federal records show that in the past two years, its buses were inspected 43 times, with 21% removed from service temporarily for violations, compared to the national average of 22.2%. The company also carried a “satisfactory” safety rating in its latest federal review and holds $5 million in insurance coverage, as required.