Divers recover first of 70 bodies after bridge collapses

Divers in Portugal have recovered the first of around 70 bodies trapped in vehicles after a bridge collapsed.

A double decker bus and two cars fell off the bridge when a support pillar crumbled on Sunday.

One hour after the search started, divers pulled a first body from the Douro river in Entre-os-Rios.

Joaquim Marinha, who is coordinating the search, said there were about 60 people on the tour bus which had taken local people on a day trip. Some people booked on the tour had not turned up for the trip, making reliable figures difficult to obtain, he said.

There were as many as 10 people in the two cars.

An 88-yard section of the 220-yard-long bridge gave way. The water where the vehicles fell was believed to have been 50 feet deep.

The local mayor, Paulo Teixeira, claimed he had warned the government, which is responsible for the bridge's maintenance, about cracks in the 116-year-old structure three years ago.

Infrastructure Minister Jorge Coelho has resigned.

"I completely accept the political responsibility for this accident," he said.

Mr Marinha said 126 emergency workers, 40 emergency vehicles and 12 boats are at the scene. Thick mist delayed the start of the search by about two hours.

The divers aim to work quickly because bad weather was forecast for the afternoon, Mr Marinha said.