DFA: No Filipino fatalities in New York bus incident

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday confirmed that no Filipinos were among the fatalities in the New York tourist bus crash, according to state police.

In a statement, the DFA said all passengers had been identified and none of the victims were Filipino. The incident occurred on Friday.

“Most of the passengers brought to hospitals were discharged. Those who sustained major injuries are expected to recover,” the DFA added.

Dozens of passengers were injured, most of whom have already been discharged. Five fatalities were recorded, involving individuals of Indian and Chinese descent, according to the New York State Police. They were identified as:

• Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhubani, India

• Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey

• Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China, a Columbia University student

• Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City

• Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City

New York police spokesman James O’Callaghan said the bus had traveled from Niagara Falls, near the Canadian border, when the accident occurred east of Buffalo.

In an email, O’Callaghan said: “The family reunification center will be closing, as all family members have made contact with the passengers at this time.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate General in New York posted on Saturday a hotline for assistance. “For the victims of the accident or their next of kin, the Consulate can be reached at the Assistance-to-Nationals Hotline (917) 294-0196,” it said.