IMMIGRATION officials were today continuing investigations into a motorway crash which claimed the lives of two Iraqi men.

The two died, and three of their friends, also Iraqis, were injured when their Mercedes crashed on the M4 near Newport on Saturday night.

Police said there were five people in the car - one of whom was an asylum seeker.

One man died at the scene and the second after being admitted to the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport.

Of those in hospital, one is a 19-year-old from Kent, who has minor injuries, but there are no details about injuries to the other two admitted.

Three of the men involved are aged 18, 22 and 29, all from Cardiff.

Immigration service officials are helping to identify the five and Gwent Police confirmed the asylum seeker had been living in a hostel in Cardiff.

The crash happened around 7.40pm as the car was heading towards the High Cross junction, between junctions 26 and 27.

The Mercedes had just overtaken a Land Rover in the outside lane when it swerved and plunged down an embankment.

It is believed the group had been travelling from Birmingham to Cardiff.

* In a separate incident a woman had to be cut free from her car after it crashed on the A40 last night.

The accident happened at around 9.50pm on the southbound carriageway of the Abergavenny to Raglan road.

The woman driver was freed by firefighters and taken to Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, for treatment.