20 killed in limousine crash in New York state

20 killed in limousine crash in New York state

A crash involving a limousine at a popular tourist location in upstate New York has left 20 people dead.

Reports suggest a limo speeding down a hill crashed into bystanders at the Apple Barrel Country Store in Schoharie, about 170 miles north of New York City.

It is understood that 18 of those killed were in the limo and the two others were pedestrians.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Apple Barrel Country Store thanked emergency officials for their actions in the aftermath of the “horrific” accident. On Sunday, the store posted that it was open “and could use your hugs”.

Witnesses on Saturday described chaos, with a massive turnout of ambulances and other responders.

“I heard some screaming. It looked serious because people were running back and forth,” Bridey Finegan, of Schoharie, told WNYT NewsChannel 13 .

The crash “sounded like an explosion,” said Linda Riley, of nearby Schenectady, who was on a shopping trip with her sisters and had been in their parked car at the store, which sits near a T-junction of two New York state highways.

When she got out of her vehicle, she saw a body on the ground and broken tree branches everywhere, she said.

Limousine Crash
The scene of the deadly crash in Schoharie (WTEN via AP)

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said: “My heart breaks for the 20 people who lost their lives in this horrific accident on Saturday in Schoharie.

“I commend the first responders who arrived on the scene and worked through the night to help.

“State police are working with federal and local authorities to investigate the crash, and I have directed state agencies to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy.”

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