Five people were killed and many were injured when a tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls with 54 people on board crashed and rolled on its side on an interstate highway, authorities said.
A police spokesman said the bus left the road on a highway about 40km (25 miles) east of the northern city of Buffalo on Friday.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way but police said they suspect the driver, who survived, became distracted, lost control of the vehicle at “full speed”, and oversteered, causing the bus to flip over and come to a rest in a ditch.
Authorities have ruled out mechanical failure and driver health issues, and said no other vehicles were involved.
According to police, bus passengers were from China, India, the Middle East, the Philippines and the US. Translators were sent to the scene to help communicate with the victims.
The Mercy Flight medical transport service said its three helicopters and three more from other services transported people from the crash site to hospitals in the area.
More than 40 people were evaluated and treated for injuries ranging from head trauma to broken arms and legs.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to New York to investigate the crash.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said her team was coordinating with state police and local officials “who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved”.
Blood and organ donor network Connect Life issued a call for blood donors to come forward in the wake of the crash.
“I’m heartbroken for all those we’ve lost and all those injured and praying for their families. Thank you to our brave first responders on the scene,” senior US senator from New York Chuck Schumer said.
The bus was returning from a day trip to the popular tourist destination of Niagara Falls – towering waterfalls that span the US-Canada border – when the accident occurred.
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