The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Cross River has confirmed five persons dead and 24 injured in an auto crash in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state.

The Sector Commander, Mr Abdullahi Hassan, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Saturday in Calabar.

Hassan said the crash occurred around 12.41 pm on Saturday in Abakpa community, Ogoja local government area.

He said that the crash involved a Mercedes Benz Tipper conveying 31 passengers to a burial ceremony.

According to the sector commander, the driver lost control of the vehicle when it had a burst tyre.

“Among the victims were 29 male adults, one female adult and one female child.

“Out of the 31 passengers, 24 male adults got injured, two passengers were not injured, that is one female adult and one female child, while five male adults lost their lives in the crash.

“Three of the corpses were taken to the mortuary while those injured were taken to the General Hospital Ogoja by FRSC officials.

“The other two corpses were retrieved by their relatives at the scene of the accident,” he said.