Tragedy struck Pontevedra on Christmas Eve as a bus veered off a road into the Lérez River, leaving at least two people dead. The vehicle, en route through the region, plunged into the water in the municipality of Cerdedo-Contobade, a grim reminder of the dangers that can accompany severe weather and treacherous road conditions during the winter season.
The incident occurred around 21:20 at kilometer 67.5 of the N-541 near Pedre. The bus belonged to the Monbus fleet and typically operates the Monterroso, Lugo, and Vigo corridor. Initial emergency calls suggested that a guard barrier on the bridge had been breached or broken, leading some witnesses to speculate that a vehicle might have fallen from the road into the river bed below. Responders were dispatched immediately as police, firefighters, and rescue teams moved to assess the scene and secure the area.
A second report arrived shortly after, this time from inside the bus. One of the passengers issued a warning about the unfolding emergency, triggering a rapid escalation of the response protocols and the mobilization of additional resources.
Inside the bus were eight occupants at the time of the crash. Local authorities, including Jorge Cubela, the mayor of Cerdedo-Cotobade, confirmed that two people survived. The survivors included a woman and the bus driver, both of whom were rescued late in the night and transported to medical facilities for treatment at Hospital Clínico de Santiago and Hospital de Montecelo.
Fire crews located two fatalities and reported three more individuals missing. The fall from the bridge was described as approximately 20 meters, with the bus resting about 75 meters below the roadway in the riverbed. Adverse weather and the strong current of the Lérez complicated search efforts, which had to be paused overnight due to ongoing safety concerns and the high water levels associated with the seasonal rains.
Cerdedo-Cotobade’s mayor, speaking to local broadcaster TVG, noted that the vehicle left the road in a straight line. While authorities had not yet established a definitive cause, weather conditions in the hours leading up to the crash were suspected to have played a role in the incident.
Officials from 112 Galicia indicated that more equipment and personnel would likely be deployed as the search resumed, with plans to conduct thorough inspections of the riverbed and surrounding banks. The operation required careful coordination among police, fire services, medical crews, and divers, all working under the pressure of nightfall and the unpredictable Lérez river. [Source: TVG] [Source: 112 Galicia]