Seventh body found in river after bus accident in Spain

[December 26, 2022]  MADRID (Reuters) - A seventh body was found in northwestern Spain after a passenger bus careened off a bridge and plunged into an overflowing river, bringing the accident's final toll up to seven dead and two injured, regional authorities said on Monday.  

Members of the Spanish Civil Guard work at the scene of an accident where a passenger bus plunged off a bridge into the river Lerez in Cerdedo-Cotobade, northwestern Spain, December 25, 2022. GUARDIA CIVIL/Handout via REUTERS

The remains were recovered downstream after being spotted by a rescue helicopter, the Spanish government's representative in the Galicia region, Jose Miñones, told reporters.

Earlier on Monday, search-and-rescue efforts resumed following a missing person report filed by the victim's son two days after the accident.

Authorities had previously concluded the operation after recovering six bodies and rescuing two survivors, as they believed the number of people onboard the bus when it fell was eight based on information provided by the victims' relatives.

The total count remained unclear throughout the weekend owing to discrepancies in the testimony of the 63-year-old driver, who survived the fall with light injuries and was pulled out of the river by firefighters along with the other survivor, a female passenger who remains hospitalised.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter he was "appalled at the tragic accident", expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Peter Graff)

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