Two people killed when a school band bus fell into a ravine in New York.

The bus left Route 84 near the town of Wawayanda and fell onto an embankment

A bus carrying high school marching band members during a trip to a music school camp ran off a highway and fell into a steep ravine in New York state on Thursday, killing two people and injuring dozens of others, some seriously.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it was likely «a faulty front wheel contributed to the crash,» although the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

New York State Police Lt. Col. Richard Mazzone said the crash happened. killed were two adult women who were among 44 passengers, 40 students and four adults, traveling from Farmington High School on Long Island to Pennsylvania.

Ms. Hochul said five or six other people suffered serious injuries. injuries. One of the dead was a teacher in the school's music program.

Dozens of students suffered minor bumps and bruises and were seen walking around the scene after the crash. The wounded were taken to half a dozen area hospitals.

“Imagine the fear and screams after that. These high school students, many of whom were freshmen, were surrounded by this chaos,” Ms. Hochul said.

In the footage The emergency can be seen from the air. Rescuers are rushing to the scene. Photo: NBC

The two dead were identified as Beatrice Ferrarri, 77, of Farmingdale, and Gina Pelletier, 43, of nearby Massapequa on Long Island. Pelletier was one of three advisors for the marching band, as well as the only advisor for both the school's jazz and «wake» bands, as shown on the Farmingdale High School website.

In a Facebook post, a man named Ray Eugenio wrote that his grandson was among those injured in the crash and asked for prayers.

“He was in a very serious accident and we do not know the extent of his injuries,” the message said. This information could not be independently verified.

The crash happened early this morning on Interstate 84 near the town of Wawayanda, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of New York City, near the New Jersey border. New York State Police said in a social media post that westbound lanes of the highway were closed at the time.

Up to six people were seriously injured when the bus overturned on its side. Photo: NBC

Images from the crash site broadcast by local media showed the bus lying on its side among trees and bushes at the base of an embankment between the east and west lanes of the divided highway. The bus appeared largely undamaged, with debris scattered nearby.

The bus was carrying high school band members from the Long Island village of Farmingdale in Nassau County on their way to band camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania, officials said.< /p>

Five other buses heading to the camp as part of the trip (an annual marching band performance, according to the school district) headed back to Farmingdale after the crash, local residents told the media.

Reports It was unclear whether any other vehicles were involved. The weather in the area was clear at the time.

Video from the scene shows an overturned bus with the logo of Regency Buses, a regional bus line serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The company did not respond to a request for comment.