Police authorities in the U.S. state of New York reported this Saturday that they have completed the identification process for the five people—all between the ages of 22 and 65—who lost their lives the day before when a tourist bus returning from a visit to Niagara Falls overturned on the highway after going off the road.
The dead were Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China, a student at Columbia University; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, and Jian Mingli, 56, both of New Jersey, ABC News reported.
Regarding the identity of the passengers, police had previously indicated that the majority of those on board were of Indian, Chinese, and Filipino nationality, so translators were also dispatched to the area to assist emergency services, according to CNN.
In addition, virtually all of the remaining passengers suffered injuries of varying severity—including abrasions, bruises, and cuts—and were taken to various hospitals and medical centers for treatment, including Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, and the UMMR in Batavia.
A total of 54 people were on board the —two crew members and 52 tourists. "For unknown reasons, the vehicle lost control, veered into the median strip, and when it reversed, ended up in a ditch" near the town of Pembroke, police spokesman James O'Callaghan told reporters.
New York State Police have reported that several people were trapped inside the vehicle, while others were ejected. All five victims died at the scene.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation; however, police ruled out this Friday that it was due to a mechanical failure or that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or other substances. "It is believed the driver was distracted, lost control, overcorrected, and ended up on the right shoulder," said Officer Andre Wray at a press conference, in which he stated that the driver was cooperating in solving the problem and that no charges had been filed against him.
Wray also ruled out the possibility that any minors were among the deceased, despite previous reports suggesting this. Children were in the vehicle and were taken to hospitals.
