PEMBROKE, New York — Five people who were killed in a deadly tour bus crash in Upstate New York have been identified by state police.
The deadly crash occurred on Interstate 90 on Friday in Pembroke, near Buffalo, according to New York State Police.
(Note: The video in the media player above is from a previous report.)
The tour bus from New York City was carrying more than 50 passengers when it overturned in Upstate New York, killing the five people and injuring dozens of others, state police said.
On Saturday, police identified the victims as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China, a Columbia University Student; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Registered to M&Y Tour Inc. on Staten Island, the bus traveled to Niagara Falls and was returning to New York City when the accident happened.
The bus was traveling eastbound just before Exit 48A when it lost control, entered the median, then crossed to the southern shoulder and overturned. The bus carrying 54 people, including the driver and another employee, rolled at full speed, but didn’t hit any other vehicles, police said.
According to New York State Police, the bus driver, 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, New York, had no signs of impairment, and the tour bus had no mechanical failure.
“The driver is alive and well,” said Trooper James O’Callaghan, a spokesperson for the New York State Police. “We’re working with him. We believe we have a good idea of what happened, why the bus lost control.”
Almost all of the more than 50 people who were on the bus suffered injuries including cuts, bruises and abrasions, O’Callaghan said. Multiple people were ejected or trapped in the crash, he said.
“It’s a full-size tour bus. Heavy amount of damage,” O’Callaghan said. “Most people I’m assuming on the bus did not have a seat belt on, that is the reason why we have so many ejected people on this bus.”
Five people were killed, but contrary to preliminary reports, no children died in the crash, according to state police.
Emergency personnel, including State Police, local first responders, and multiple medical helicopters, remained on scene providing aid and transporting victims to area hospitals.
The NTSB, announced in coordination with the New York State Police and the New York State Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Bureau, it will send a go-team to conduct a safety investigation into Friday’s tour bus crash.
Two dozen patients were transferred to Erie County Medical Center, with head injuries, extremity fractures and other injuries, doctors with the hospital said. All are expected to recover.
Another three patients were sent to Strong Memorial Hospital, and at least one child was transported to Oishei Children’s Hospital, the hospitals told ABC News. Buffalo General Medical Center and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital also received patients from the crash.
No one else is in life-threatening condition, and many people have since been treated and released from the hospital.
Overall, passengers ranged in age from 1 to 74 years old. O’Callaghan said most passengers were Indian, Chinese and Filipino, and translators were being brought to the scene.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has been “briefed on the tragic tour bus accident.”
A bus crashed on I90 E near Pembroke, NY, on Aug. 22, 2025.
Gail Potter
“My team is coordinating closely with @nyspolice and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved,” she said in a statement on X.
As for the driver, officials believe he became distracted, lost control and then “overcorrected” before he ended up in the right shoulder.
They say it’s too early to say whether charges will be filed, but mechanical error and impairment/intoxication have been ruled out. Police say the driver has been “cooperative.”
All lanes on the thruway at Pembroke were closed due to the crash.
Westbound lanes reopened on Friday evening, but all lanes remain closed eastbound.
“Expect heavy delays and alternate routes of travel,” New York State Police said.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage is asked to contact State Police at SP Batavia (585) 344-6200.
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Information from ABC News and the Associated Press
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