A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls has crashed on a major road, killing five people and injuring many others.
The bus, with 52 passengers on board, crashed and rolled on Interstate 90 near Pembroke, about 30 miles (48km) east of Buffalo, in New York State, at around 12.30pm (5.30pm UK time).
“At this time we have multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries,” said Trooper James O’Callaghan, a spokesperson for the New York State Police. Some children were on board.
Several people inside were thrown from the bus as the windows shattered, while some passengers became trapped in the wreckage. Erie County Medical Centre (ECMC) in Buffalo said it had received 24 patients.
At a news conference, Dr Jennifer Pugh, chief of emergency medicine at ECMC, said two people had been taken to the operating theatre, one of whom had suffered internal injuries.
Dr Jeffrey Brewer, chief of surgery, said he expected that two patients who had suffered the most serious injuries would recover.
He added that people had been admitted with blunt trauma, head injuries and extremity (arm and leg) fractures.
Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital received another 11 patients, Buffalo General received four, while Oishei Children’s Hospital took in three children.
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Mr O’Callahan said most people on the bus were Indian, Chinese, and Filipino, and translators were being brought to the scene. The driver survived and is cooperating with the police.
He added: “It’s a full-size tour bus. Heavy amount of damage. 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.”
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The Mercy Flight air medical transport service said its three helicopters were transporting people from the crash site to area hospitals.
“It’s a very active scene,” said Mercy Flight president Margaret Ferrentino. “At this time, we’re praying for the victims.”
Mr O’Callaghan said the driver, who survived the accident, lost control while the bus was at full speed, causing it to flip when he tried to correct course.
The highway has been closed in both directions, causing massive traffic delays at the onset of one of the last weekends of the summer vacation season.
The falls, which are on the US-Canada border, are a major tourist attraction.
More than nine million visitors explore Niagara Falls State Park annually, according to the official website for the park.
