JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
What was supposed to be a return trip to New York City for international tourists visiting Niagara Falls abruptly ended in tragedy today when a tour bus crashed and rolled over on a highway near Buffalo. Ryan Zunner of member station Buffalo Toronto Public Media joins us from the scene. Hi there.
RYAN ZUNNER, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: Ryan, what details can you tell us about this accident?
ZUNNER: Yeah, so the immediate belief from New York State Police is that the tour bus hit a median and overcorrected, causing the incident. Fifty-two individuals were confirmed to be aboard the bus. The accident happened shortly before 1 p.m. today. Police think some were not wearing seat belts. Some passengers were ejected through the windows, others pinned and had to be rescued from that rollover crash. The bus ended up landing on its side. In a press conference, New York State Police say they believe several people were killed, including one child, but they've yet to provide a definitive number.
SUMMERS: Anything you can tell us about the victims who were the passengers on this bus?
ZUNNER: Yeah, Juana. So the bus was carrying tourists from Niagara Falls to New York City. Police say they're mostly from China, India and the Philippines. Translators had to be called on-site to assist in the emergency effort and the later medical care efforts, which are still underway. Police say the driver of the bus is alive and is cooperating with an investigation. New York State Police say they'll access footage from the bus to figure out what exactly happened before that crash and during it.
SUMMERS: Anything you can tell us about the status of the people there who were injured?
ZUNNER: Yeah, so patients were sent to two area hospitals - one in Rochester, one in Buffalo. That Buffalo hospital said 24 people were taken in there, many with head injuries, fractures, and two currently undergoing surgery, but they are expected to survive. Victims were transported to medical facilities by ambulances, and several rushed by medical helicopters. Erie County Medical Center's chief medical officer, Dr. Samuel Cloud, said this is a mass casualty event for the hospital.
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SAMUEL CLOUD: ECMC is the only adult level 1 trauma center for western New York. We plan, we train and we are prepared to implement our plans for mass casualty incidents, which we proved today. We rapidly evaluated 24 patients from this incident this afternoon.
ZUNNER: And a local blood bank also issuing an emergency appeal for blood donations on social media due to this crash. The accident shut down Interstate 90 in both directions, much of that stretch continuing to be closed and causing major detours and, you know, traffic incidences around that section of the Interstate 90. New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed sympathy for those killed and injured in the crash. She also said she'll commit resources available for first responders.
SUMMERS: That was Ryan Zunner from Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Ryan, thank you.
ZUNNER: Thank you.
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