PICTURED: High school band leader among two dead and six injured after charter bus carrying high school students careens 50ft down a ravine in upstate New York

Two people killed after a charter bus full of high school students crashed through a canyon in upstate New York have been identified as two beloved female teachers.

Gina Pellettiere, 43-year-old director of the Farmingdale High School marching band, and retired history teacher Beatrice Ferrari, 77, were killed in the crash, police said.

Pellettiere, who reportedly played 20 instruments, has been described by “devastated” students as “a role model, an influential music teacher and a beloved friend.”

Meanwhile, Ferrari, who taught for more than 30 years in Farmingdale, Long Island, continued to serve as the school band’s “grandmother” by chaperoning outings, according to Newsday.

But tragedy struck the school around 1:30 p.m. Thursday after their bus, carrying four adults and 40 students, overturned ten miles from the nearest exit on the two-lane highway near the Orange County city of Wawayanda.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed the deaths on Thursday evening, describing it as “a day of terror” for the 44 people – four adults and 40 students – on board.

She said a defective front tire “likely contributed to the accident,” which saw the vehicle fall 50 feet into a ravine.

It led a convoy of six buses carrying 300 students, mostly ninth graders, from Farmingdale to the marching band camp music event at Pine Forest in Greeley, Pennsylvania.

The bus appears to have left the busy roadway about 75 miles northwest of New York City and fell down an embankment before coming to rest on its side in a heavily wooded area.

A Farmingdale student and band member paid a moving tribute to the teachers who died in the crash.

“I am devastated for the students, faculty and families of Farmingdale.

“We have lost two beautiful souls in the Farmingdale music community,” he said on Facebook.

“I have lost a role model, an influential music teacher and a beloved friend, Mrs. Gina Pellettiere.

“I will miss you forever and never forget the impact you made on me and countless others.”

He shared heartwarming photos of the teacher holding a bouquet during band events with students and hugging a student during an outdoor lesson.

Nassau Music Educators Association described Pellettiere as “highly regarded and adored.”

“Her warm smile, infectious laugh, incredible ability to tell stories, passion for life and talent in her craft will be deeply missed by all who knew her personally and professionally,” the group said.

A woman of many talents, Pellettiere was also “a great skier and golfer,” according to the Garden City Ski Club, which shared a photo of her giving a thumbs up as she sat on a sunny slope.

Meanwhile, Ferrari’s daughter, Dina Lopresto, 44, told Newsday she was “the glue of the family.”

Cordelia Anthony, a high school science teacher, said Ferrari was a “great history teacher” and had guided the band for years.

“We were informed that there had been an accident on the 1 bus en route to Greeley, PA for band camp,” Farmingdale School District said in a statement

‘Police and emergency services on site, as well as the district administration. We will provide another update as more information becomes available. We ask for your patience as we gather more details.”

Six passengers, all believed to be juveniles, were hospitalized in critical condition, Orange County District Administrator Steven M. Neuhaus said.

A spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said multiple law enforcement, emergency responders and fire departments responded to the scene, which she described as the location of an “active investigation.”

Hochul said all 44 people on board were removed from the wreckage within 45 minutes.

The injured were taken to Westchester County Medical Center or Garnet Health Medical Center in Wallkill, with two Medivac helicopters assisting in the rescue effort.

Anthony Eugenio, a student, was on the bus and recalled the bus turning over several times before coming to a stop.

He called his family to say he was a little confused.

‘He said he’s really hurting. He has a big bump on his leg. He has blood on his pants from someone else,” his father said.

“The person next to him was covered in blood.”

Anthony had to borrow a friend’s phone because he lost his in the crash.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking,” his father said.

“When you get news like that and your son is two and a half hours away, it’s quite scary.”

“I heard that a lot of my friends were seriously injured,” one freshman told ABC7.

‘I’m not feeling well at the moment.

‘Normally I take the bus. I don’t think I want to take a bus anymore. That’s why I’m always careful when I travel, for example on the bus to school.

‘Now I don’t know if I want to stop going on trips. I feel sad. I just want to pray, I want to pray. I want to know how my friends’ families feel. I’m all shaky and stuff because a lot of my friends were on that bus.”

“How are they going to recover from this?” one parent told Fox29.

“Please don’t let anyone leave. These are my babies. They think they’re big and tough, but they’re babies.’

The bus bore the logo of the Regency Luxury Charter Bus Company of Smithtown, New York, and was traveling approximately 100 miles to the annual four-day weekend camp.

“We thought it was a joke,” said a student whose friend flew from the crash site.

‘We didn’t think it was that serious. It’s terrible.’

The cause of the crash is still unknown and the National Transportation Safety Board said it was monitoring the crash.

The trip to band camp in September is an annual tradition at the school, which has 1,700 students.

It is attended by members of the marching band, color guard and kickline team, along with adult chaperones.