Tour Bus Accident Claims Lives Of NJ Woman, Indian Tourist

NEW YORK, NY –A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls crashed, resulting in five fatalities, including two individuals of Indian descent, according to police.

On August 23, police identified the two Indian victims as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, a visitor from Madhubani, India, and Pinki Changrani, 60, who resided in East Brunswick, New Jersey. The other three persons killed were of Chinese descent.

The bus, carrying 54 people, was traveling back to New York City on August 22 afternoon after a tour of the famous falls straddling the US and Canada. The driver reportedly lost control, causing the bus to roll from the highway into a ditch. The accident occurred about 70 km from Niagara Falls and roughly 600 km from New York City. The bus had an international group of sightseers on board, including passengers from India, China, the Philippines, and the U.S.

Details of the injured have not been officially released, and the exact number of other passengers from India remains unknown. Some passengers remained in the hospital on August 23 in critical or stable condition, while others had been discharged after treatment. A fleet of helicopter ambulances airlifted some of the injured to area hospitals soon after the accident.

Police investigations are ongoing with the participation of the National Transportation Safety Board. Authorities said the driver showed no signs of impairment and the bus had no mechanical failure. Investigators are now looking into whether the driver was distracted and lost control of the vehicle. Police stated the bus suddenly veered off into the road divider and rolled over as the driver apparently tried to correct the direction. The bus was equipped with an event recording device, which operates somewhat like the black box installed on planes, and it may provide clues to the cause of the accident. (IANS)