A sightseeing trip to Niagara Falls turned into tragedy when a New York City-bound tour bus overturned on the New York State Thruway near Pembroke, about 40 miles east of Niagara Falls.
Authorities said the driver lost control after becoming distracted, overcorrected, and rolled the bus onto its side, leaving five people dead and dozens injured.
According to a New York State Police press release, the bus carrying 52 passengers veered into the median before sharply correcting and rolling off the I-90’s south embankment.
Some passengers were ejected while others were trapped inside as first responders, air ambulances, and state and local police rushed to the scene.
Many victims were tourists from China and the Philippines, with language barriers requiring translators to assist investigators.
State police released the names of the deceased:
- Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhubani, India
- Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey
- Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China, and a Columbia University student
- Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey
- Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City, New Jersey
Columbia University issued a statement mourning the loss of Hongzhuo:
“This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community. We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support.”
The driver, Bin Shao, 55, of Flushing, New York, survived and is cooperating with the investigation.
Passenger Gao Gao Yu, traveling with her father, recalled the terrifying moments:
“The bus, like in a few seconds, lost control. It started to shake, like a boat left and right. And then it flipped. We all climbed out of the windows… There was glass everywhere.”
Eight-year-old Zihan Lnfu, another passenger, described the chaos:
“I saw when the cars crashed. So many people were hurt and some of them are smaller than me, maybe 4 or 5 years old.”
Witnesses reported seeing families trapped, some unable to escape in time.
Authorities are focusing on driver distraction as the cause. State police say the bus company, M&Y Tour, is cooperating with the probe.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) may also conduct a review to determine whether mechanical failure or fatigue contributed.
About the author
Adenta Building Collapse Linked to Illegal Construction and Ignored Stop-Work Orders
A preliminary investigation into the collapse of a three-storey building at Adenta New Site in the Greater Accra Region has revealed that the project was carried out without the required regulatory approvals and in defiance of official stop-work directives issued by local authorities. The findings were released by a Joint Technical Investigative Committee comprising structural engineering experts and representatives from the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-Gh), and the Architecture Registration Council (ARC). According to the committee, the incident highlights serious violations of Ghana’s building regulations and raises concerns about compliance and enforcement within the construction sector. The building collapsed on June 3, 2026, trapping five occupants beneath the debris. The victims included three adults and two children. Rescue teams successfully pulled four individuals from the rubble alive and transported them to the […]
Kpandai Residents Encouraged to Promote Unity and Peace for Sustainable Development
Residents of Kpandai in the Northern Region have been encouraged to put aside tribal, linguistic and political differences and work collectively toward the development of their communities. The call was made by the Parish Priest of St. Kizito Parish, Rev. Fr. Moses Nseaminya, during the launch of the St. Kizito Parish Feast, Partnership and Cultural Day Celebration. The event seeks to promote peace, social cohesion and stronger relationships among the various ethnic groups living within the district. Speaking during the launch, Rev. Fr. Nseaminya emphasized that diversity should be viewed as a strength that can drive development rather than a source of conflict and division. He noted that although residents come from different cultural backgrounds and hold varying political views, they all share a common goal of improving the welfare and future of Kpandai. According to the parish priest, meaningful […]
ECG Explains Power Outages in Greater Accra and Western Regions Following Technical Faults
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has attributed ongoing power interruptions in parts of the Greater Accra and Western regions to separate technical faults affecting its distribution network. In a statement issued on Monday, June 8, 2026, the power distributor said a technical fault at the Nsawam Primary Station has disrupted electricity supply to several communities within the Accra West operational area. The affected communities include Hebron, Medie, Samsam, Satellite, Koleman and nearby areas, where residents have been experiencing intermittent power outages. According to ECG, engineering teams have been deployed to the station and are actively working to identify and rectify the fault to restore stable electricity supply as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, in the Western Region, a broken high-tension (HT) electricity pole at Ankasa has caused a separate power disruption, affecting multiple towns and communities across the area. Communities […]
Burkina Faso forme 8 000 jeunes VDP agricoles pour renforcer l’autosuffisance alimentaire
La cérémonie officielle de sortie de la 3e cohorte des Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP) agricoles et de fin de formation de 8 000 jeunes en entrepreneuriat agricole s’est tenue le 5 juin 2026 à l’École nationale de formation agricole (ENAFA) de Matourkou. L’initiative s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’Initiative présidentielle pour l’agriculture et l’autosuffisance alimentaire, portée par les autorités burkinabè. Cette formation vise à renforcer les capacités des jeunes dans le secteur agricole tout en les impliquant dans une dynamique de production locale et de souveraineté alimentaire. Une jeunesse formée entre agriculture, civisme et engagement citoyen Le directeur exécutif du Bureau national des grands projets du Burkina Faso, Hamidou Sawadogo, a salué l’engagement des bénéficiaires. Selon lui, le programme traduit la volonté des autorités de transformer durablement le secteur agricole afin de réduire la dépendance alimentaire […]
Clément Zongo dédicace trois ouvrages littéraires à Ouagadougou
Le journaliste-chroniqueur burkinabè Clément Zongo a procédé, le 6 juin 2026 à Ouagadougou, à la dédicace de trois ouvrages intitulés La fille aux cheveux châtains, Les Chroniques de Clément Zongo et Juste un coup de plume. La cérémonie, organisée dans la grande salle du Centre national des arts du spectacle et de l’audiovisuel (CENASA), a réuni des acteurs du monde culturel, des professionnels des médias ainsi que de nombreux passionnés de littérature. De son vrai nom Alexis Yaméogo, Clément Zongo est titulaire d’une maîtrise en sciences et techniques de l’information et de la communication. Conseiller des affaires culturelles, il s’est distingué au fil des années grâce à plusieurs récompenses obtenues dans le domaine littéraire. Un roman consacré à la lutte contre les préjugés liés à l’albinisme Parmi les œuvres présentées figure La fille aux cheveux châtains, un roman qui aborde […]
Three Rescued as Rescue Teams Search for Trapped Victims After North Industrial Area Building Collapse
Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate and extract individuals believed to be trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Accra’s North Industrial Area following a structural failure that has left several people injured. According to Alex King Nartey of the Ghana National Fire Service's communications team, three people have so far been rescued from the scene and are currently receiving medical treatment. However, emergency responders fear that at least three more individuals may still be trapped under the debris. Speaking at the site, Mr. Nartey explained that rescue operations have been slowed by the absence of earth-moving equipment needed to remove large sections of collapsed concrete and debris safely. He disclosed that the Fire Service has requested assistance from the military, while the Mayor of Accra has also facilitated the deployment of heavy machinery to support the […]
Related
Trump Says Peace Deal With Iran in Final Stages
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were "in the final stages," while warning of further attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal. "We're in the final stages of Iran. We'll see what happens. Either have a deal, or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," he told reporters. Trump announced that he is in the "final stages" of negotiating an agreement with Iran, which he anticipates could be finalized within the next "two to three days," following a recent surge in hostilities. The president claimed he is in "no hurry" to finalize a peace agreement with Iran, suggesting that he would not consider making a "limited deal" only focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. On May 27, Trump said both sides were close to […]
Pope Arrives Barcelona to Bless World’s Tallest Church
Pope Leo XIV is making an ongoing apostolic journey to Spain on June 6–12, 2026, to address the immigration crisis, inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ of the Sagrada Familia, and strengthen ties with the Spanish government and Spaniards. The Pope arrived at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport mid-day on June 9, where he will proceed to a prayer at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, followed by a prayer vigil in the evening at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. In the evening, the Pope will go to the Sagrada Familia to inaugurate and bless the recently-completed Tower of Jesus Christ, main and tallest tower of the basilica with a height of 172.5 meters (566 feet), making the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world. After the Mass, Pope Leo XIV will go outside the Basilica […]
Trump: Israel and Iran Must Immediately Stop Shooting
US President Donald Trump on Monday urged Iran and Israel to cease hostilities, as both countries engaged in tit-for-tat attacks that seriously threatened talks for a deal to end the Middle East war. Trump posted on his TruthSocial account: "Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting," hours after the two nations attacked each other for the first time since a ceasefire two months ago. The appeal came as Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks against each other, marking the most serious escalation since the ceasefire that took effect on April 8. Days earlier, Trump had reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from further attacks, but Israel struck a petrochemical plant in Iran's southwest along with military targets elsewhere. Hours earlier, Trump said new strikes by Israel and Iran would not affect his administration's peace talks with Tehran, […]
Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, seriously testing a fragile truce and threatening hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war. The new attacks, including a strike on an Iranian petrochemical complex, came hours after US President Donald Trump called on Israel to refrain from retaliating against Tehran's missiles. The retaliation followed Israel saying it fired on western and central Iran in tit-for-tat action against Tehran's assault on Sunday of 11 missiles, all of which were intercepted with no casualties. Israel's military and Iranian local media said Monday that Israel struck a petrochemical company in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, a major industrial complex that had been hit before in April. The escalation came after Israel carried out an air raid on southern Beirut, killing at least two people and wounding 20, which Iran said "crossed all red […]
Iran Guards Say They Targeted Petrochemical Facility in Israel
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has launched a missile strike targeting industrial and petrochemical facilities in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. In a statement carried by state-linked media, the Guards described the attack as retaliation for recent Israeli strikes on Iran’s petrochemical infrastructure, including major complexes in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh in the country’s southwest. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force “struck equivalent industrial targets” in Haifa after what it called American‑Israeli aggression against Iran’s petrochemical sector, warning that further attacks would follow if Israeli strikes continue. Iranian officials framed the operation as part of a broader response to strikes that have severely disrupted Iran’s petrochemical exports, a key source of revenue for Tehran. In April and early June, Israel’s military confirmed it had hit major petrochemical sites in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh, saying the complexes produced chemical […]
Israel Military: Iran Fired Nearly 30 Missiles at Israel Since Sunday
An Israeli military official says Iran has fired nearly 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel since Sunday night, marking the most serious flare-up between the two countries since a ceasefire paused the Iran war in April. The barrages followed Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran and Lebanon, including Hezbollah-linked sites in Beirut, late on Sunday. “Last night the Iranian regime began firing ballistic missiles towards Israel… they fired close to 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel,” the official told journalists on Monday, adding that Yemen’s Houthi rebels separately launched two missiles at the country. Israeli air defence systems, backed by allied capabilities, were activated to intercept the projectiles, with warning sirens sending residents in parts of Israel into shelters. The renewed exchange is the first direct Iranian missile fire at Israel since the April truce ended an earlier phase of the […]