Auto crash: Divers recover 14 bodies from Ebonyi river

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said on Saturday divers had recovered bodies of 14 victims of the Ebonyi State auto crash from the Akeze-Ukwu River in the state.

A Mercedes Benz 608 model bus with 32 passengers plunged into the river after it collided with an articulated truck in the area on Friday evening.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Ebonyi, Mrs. Stella Uchegbu, told journalists in Abakaliki that the bus had been retrieved with 14 persons on board.

She said: “Seven males and seven females, all adults were inside the vehicle and they were all dead.

READ ALSO: Bus plunges into river in Ebonyi

“Their remains had been deposited at the Mater Misericordae Hospital, Afikpo. However, professional divers from Port Harcourt and the local ones are still searching for more victims.

“Five persons were rescued on Friday. With the 14 bodies retrieved on Saturday, this brought the number of passengers discovered so far to 19 as against the expected 32 passengers on board the bus.

“The FRSC personnel are still on ground, maintaining a free flow of traffic with the road cordoned off to motorists since Friday.”

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