Lagos — Twenty-two persons were yesterday confirmed dead in Lafia, Nasarawa State, following an auto accident on Lafia-Abuja road.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while conveying corpses from the scene of the accident, Yunusa Lawal, FRSC Safety Route Commander,said all 22 passengers in a bus died.

He said the carnage occurred when a tipper ran over the 18-seater bus while trying to overtake another vehicle.

According to him,the victims were mangled beyond recognition and the passenger manifest found is not current.

He said the bus, which was on the Nyanya Mass Transit with registration Number XB660 LFA, may have been coming from either Makurdi or Oturkpo in Benue.

The officer said they would use the mobile phones of some of the victims to contact their relations.

He,however, advised those whose relations followed the route to check the General Hospital, Makurdi, to identify and collect the corpses if possible.

He said all the bodies had been transported to Makurdi to ease transportation for the victims and their relatives.