BREAKING: Six dead and one missing after bus plunges into river in Galicia

AT least six people have died, and one remains missing after a passenger bus plunged into the Lerez river in Pontevedra, Galicia, last night. 

The incident occurred at 9.19 pm on Christmas Eve on the Carretera Nacional 541 towards Pontevedra as the bus passed through a town called Pedre in Cerdedo-Cotobade.

Guardia Civil were alerted to the incident by the bus driver, who managed to call emergency services, despite the 75-metre drop into the river.

So far, emergency services have rescued two people, including the driver, who has been transferred to the Clinical Hospital Santiago de Compostela, and one woman, who has been taken to Hospital Montecelo. 

Visiting the site of the tragedy, the President of the Xunta de Galicia expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and those still missing. He also thanked the emergency services for their professionalism and hard work.