One dead and at least 46 injured after charter bus full of Farmingdale High School students going to band camp crashes off an embankment on I-84 in Orange County, New York
- The accident happened shortly before 1.30pm on the two-lane highway near Wawayanda
- The bus was carrying around 40 ninth-graders from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County to a weekend band camp in Pennsylvania
- One person is reported dead and five are in a critical condition
- This is a breaking news story
One person is confirmed dead and at least five are in a critical condition after a charter bus carrying school students to bandcamp toppled off an embankment in upstate New York.
Forty-five people are thought to have been on the bus and most have been injured
The charter bus reportedly overturned just before 1.30pm, ten miles from the nearest exit on the two-lane highway in the Orange County town of Wawayanda.
It was one of six carrying 300 students, mainly ninth graders, from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County to a band camp music event in Greeley, Pennsylvania, ABC7 reported.
The bus appears to have left the busy roadway about 75 miles north-west of New York City and toppled down an embankment before coming to a rest in a heavily wooded area.
Rescue workers are scrambling to save the injured people on board
Route 84 westbound is closed at Exit 15 as first responders head to the scene
‘We were informed that there had been an accident with Bus 1 on route to Greeley, PA for band camp,’ Farmingdale School District said in a statement
‘Police and emergency responders on on the scene, as well as district administration. We will provide another update when more information becomes available. We ask for your patience as we gather more details.’
The injured were taken to Westchester County Medical Center or Garnet Health Medical Center in Wallkill, with two Medivac helicopters assisting in the rescue effort.
New York State Police said Route 84 westbound was closed at Exit 15 as the investigation continues, and traffic has been halted in both directions
A spokesperson for SUNY Orange said the college’s physical education center will be used as a family information/reunification center.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman arranged a police escort for families of the affected students.
Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano said the other buses in the convoy are heading back to Nassau County.
Ladders were lifted to the toppled bus in a bid to reach passengers
Helicopters pictured the scale of the effort to rescue the injured children
Dozens of rescue vehicles were on the scene within minutes of the accident
The tumbling bus crushed trees and bushes as it fell down the slope
Rescuers are using ropes to navigate the steep slope down to where the bus lay
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had been briefed on the tragedy:
‘At my direction, personnel from the New York State Police and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services are onsite to assist local emergency response teams,’ she added.
‘We are grateful for the first responders whose speedy action saved lives and we will continue to support them however necessary. Our hearts are with all who are impacted by this horrific situation.’
This is a breaking news story.
Source: Read Full Article
