Man and woman found in buried car in Dorset

Two people have been found dead in a car buried under a pile of earth near a partly-collapsed tunnel in Dorset.

The man and woman were discovered in the car near the Beaminster Tunnel on Monday evening.

Avon and Somerset Police said two people from the county had been reported missing and were believed to have been in the Beaminster area.

The car was unearthed near the A3066 tunnel, which has been closed since 7 July after a landslip.

Dorset Fire and Rescue began excavating the pile of earth and mud after being contacted by Avon and Somerset Police.

Firefighters found the car about 40 minutes later at about 19:20 BST.

The road has been closed while emergency services excavate the vehicle.

Avon and Somerset Police said enquiries into the whereabouts of the man, in his 70s, and the woman, in her 60s, from Crewkerne and Taunton, suggested they were in the Beaminster area on Saturday 7 July.

The force asked Dorset Police to check the area before the fire service was called.

Dorset Police said: "At approximately 7.20pm yesterday, Dorset Police were advised that Dorset Fire and Rescue Service personnel had discovered a car under a large volume of earth outside the entrance of Beaminster Tunnel.

"The road has been closed and a cordon has been put in place while emergency service staff attempt to excavate the vehicle."

Beaminster Tunnel has been closed since heavy rains caused a landslip and structural damage.

Dorset County Council had previously said the road was expected to remain closed until September while repairs were carried out.