A major emergency operation is underway in Cork city after a car entered the River Lee in the south docks area.

There are reports that at least one person was inside the vehicle at the time.

The submerged car has been located, and emergency services are awaiting Naval Service divers to arrive at the scene to search the vehicle.

The alarm was raised at around 9.45am after witnesses reported seeing a car drive into the water at Kennedy Quay.

The car appears to have passed through a barrier to enter what is a working quayside area.

Several units of Cork City Fire Brigade, gardaí, members of the Irish Coast Guard, and volunteers from Cork City Missing Persons responded.

They quickly located the submerged car and have pinpointed its position in the river channel, close to where it entered the water.

They remain at the scene and expect that a recovery operation will begin once the divers arrive.