Police say they have been advised by the coastguard that a car has been located in a waterway on Canterbury’s State Highway 8 after a crash there earlier today.

They were alerted to the crash at 6.50am, south of Twizel.

A spokesperson said at this stage, it was believed a car had collided with a barrier on the Ōhau B Canal Bridge and fallen into the water.

The Police National Dive Squad is scheduled to arrive at the crash location at around 2.30pm.

The Dive Squad will receive a briefing from staff who have been involved in the search today and will then deploy into the waterway.

An extensive search is underway involving Police, Coastguard and FENZ. 

Local boaties have also been providing assistance.

Police were unable to confirm how many people were in the car at the time of the crash.

Police do not expect to be able to provide any further updates until the car is able to located and searched by the Dive Squad.