More than 30 hurt after US casino bus flips over in snow

NEW YORK (AFP) - A bus driving from New York to a casino in neighbouring Connecticut overturned on a snow-covered highway on Monday, injuring more than 30 people and forcing police to close the major route.

The charter bus was heading to the Mohegan Sun Casino - a drive of about two hours and 15 minutes - when it flipped over on its side on Interstate 95 near the town of Madison during a snowstorm around 12.30pm (1.30am Singapore time), state police said.

None of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.

Pictures of the scene on social media showed snow covering part of the road.

Three to seven inches (7.5-18 centimetres) of snow were forecast to fall on southwestern Connecticut on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Of the 70 passengers on board, 30 were able to walk off the bus themselves.

Emergency services evacuated the others, officials said.

Those with minor injuries were taken to area hospitals, police said.

The accident, which took place about 50km from the casino, involved no other vehicle.

Mohegan Sun is one of the country's largest casinos and is operated by the Mohegan tribe.

Other buses en route to the casino from New York were diverted back to the city, a casino spokesman said.

The bus owner, Dahlia Inc, was not immediately available for comment.

A spokesman for bus operator VMC East Coast said the company was "very saddened" by the accident.

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