12:10PM EST: (Updates, photos & video below) The NYS Thruway is shutdown heading northbound (towards the Catskills) following a coach-bus fire, YWN has learned.
The fire was on a Monsey Trails bus loaded with children heading to Camp Munk in Sullivan County. The incident is on the Thruway near Mile-Marker 41.3 between Exits 15 & 16.
Everyone is safely off the bus, and is Boruch Hashem ok.
Rabbi Abe Friedman the NYST Chaplain, and Misaskim were contacted by the bus company immediately after the incident, and tell YWN that a second bus has already been dispatched to the scene to transfer the children.
Please use alternate routes to the Catskills at this time.
(Use the Palisades Parkway and take Route 6, or you can take the “Old Route 17″ as an alternate route).
UPDATE 12:57PM EST: At this time traffic is backed up for 5 miles, and only 1 lane is open heading north-bound.
UPDATE 1:27PM EST: Two lanes have been opened at this time.
UPDATE 1:40PM EST: Click HERE for photos, and click HERE to view video from mobile devices only.
UPDATE 2:40PM EST: All lanes have been reopened. Traffic is slowly easing up.
(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN BBRY Group 3)