Spain: 7 Dead After Coach Plunge From Bridge Into River

Emergency services in Spain have confirmed a seventh death after a bus plunged from a bridge into a river on Christmas Eve (Saturday).

Eko Hot Blog reports that rescuers retrieved the body of a woman from the Lerez river in the north-western Galicia region on Monday.

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Two people, including the driver, were hurt after the bus travelling from Lugo to Vigo fell from a height of about 30m (98ft) into the fast-flowing river.

Officials say bad weather may have caused the crash.

They say the bus driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

Rescue teams initially ended their search near the village of Pedre, not far from Galicia’s regional capital of Santiago de Compostela, on Christmas Day (Sunday) after finding six bodies.

But they resumed the operation after one surviving passenger said a friend she had been travelling with was not on the official list of victims.

The woman had not been reported missing as nobody had been waiting for her, a Guardia Civil police spokesman told AFP news agency.

Her body was spotted by a helicopter in the river on Monday morning.

Emergency services were first alerted about the incident by a passing driver who told them that a section of the bridge’s safety barrier was missing.

Just minutes later, one of the survivors called them from inside the bus as it was fast filling with water.

This helped rescue teams to quickly locate the crash site.