Bus overturns in Delaware; 2 dead, injuries

NEW CASTLE, Delaware — A bus carrying dozens of people crashed and overturned in the U.S. state of Delaware, leaving two women dead and several other people injured, authorities said.

Officials said the accident did not involve other vehicles and happened around 4:20 p.m. Sunday in New Castle in the northern part of the state, south of Wilmington.

In a news release, Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Shavack said there were 49 passengers on the bus when it was traveling on an exit ramp. The bus was going through a curve when it left the road and overturned. It slid on its roof down a grass embankment and came to rest on its left side, Shavack said.

A 54-year-old woman from New York was found under the bus and was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. A 30-year-old woman from Istanbul, Turkey, was taken to a hospital and died Sunday night.

The other passengers were taken to area hospitals for injuries varying in severity.

Investigators were interviewing the bus driver, 56-year-old Jinli Zhao, who was not critically injured, authorities said.

The passengers were taking a 3-day sightseeing tour to Washington that began Friday in New York, authorities said. The crash happened as the bus was heading back to New York.