Columbia student among 5 killed in New York Interstate 90 tour bus crash

A Columbia University student was among five people killed Friday when a tour bus returning from Niagara Falls rolled over on a rural stretch of Interstate 90 of the New York State Thruway in upstate New York, according to authorities.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Columbia University said it is mourning the death of Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China, who was a student in New York City.

“This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support. … Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy.”

The university said it is providing counseling and other resources to students who may need them.

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New York State Police identified the four other victims as: Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City, New Jersey.

The tour bus, operated by Staten Island-based tour company M&Y Tour Incorporated, was traveling eastbound from Niagara Falls to New York City on Friday when it lost control just before 12:30 p.m., crossed over the median and flipped on the shoulder in Pembroke, about 40 minutes from Buffalo, according to state police.

The driver, Bin Shao, 55, of Flushing, New York, had no signs of impairment and the tour bus had no signs of mechanical failure. Shao allegedly told police he was distracted at the time of the crash and over-corrected.

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Erie County Medical Center on Saturday confirmed a total of 21 patients from the crash were treated at the hospital.

Of the 21 patients, seven were discharged, three patients are in the observation unit pending discharge, six patients were admitted in stable condition, and five patients remain in the trauma intensive care unit.

It is unclear if any additional victims were taken to other area hospitals.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Fox News Digital on Friday it was sending a go-team to investigate. The bus was taken to state police barracks as evidence.

The New York State Police, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Homeland Security, NYS Thruway Authority, Erie County Emergency Management, Genesee County Emergency Management, Newstead Emergency Management, Genesee County District Attorney’s Office, National Traffic Safety Board, and numerous EMS and fire companies assisted in the incident.

The Genesee County Fire Department, University of Rochester Medical Center and Kaleida Health did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Henry Naccari contributed to this report.