China student among 5 dead in Upstate NY bus crash

A Columbia University student from China was among five people killed Friday when a tour bus carrying more than 50 passengers rolled over on Interstate 90 in western New York, authorities said. Other victims are three New Jersey residents and a man from India, according to New York State Police, reported by New York Post today.

The victims were identified as: Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; and Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India.

The crash occurred near Exit 48A on the eastbound I-90 around 12:40pm, as the bus, operated by Staten Island-based M&Y Tour Inc, was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City with 52 passengers and a tour guide on board. Officials said the driver apparently became distracted, causing the bus to veer into the median, then swerve back across the highway before overturning in a ditch, the report said.

“It first veered left into the median and then moved right, back across the travel lanes, rolling over off the right-hand shoulder of the highway,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Thomas Chapman said during a Saturday press briefing.

Columbia University confirmed that one of its students, Xie, was among the victims. “This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community,” the school said in a statement to Fox News Digital, adding that it is in close contact with her family and providing support. The university is also offering counseling to students affected by the tragedy.

The NTSB has launched a safety investigation running parallel to the criminal inquiry by state police. Investigators are examining the driver’s performance, possible fatigue or distraction, mechanical issues, and road design. The bus, built in 2005, was equipped with seat belts, though New York state law has only required seat belt use on buses manufactured in 2015 or later.

The tour company, M&Y Tour Inc, had a “satisfactory” safety rating from federal regulators in 2024, though records show it failed nine out of 43 inspections in the previous two years. The company operates nine buses with 20 drivers, most of whom had cleared background checks, according to New York Post.