Police searching for five people who disappeared after a night out found three of them dead and two seriously injured.

The car Sophie Russon, Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, Shane Loughlin and Rafel Jeanne-Actie had been travelling in was found crashed off the A48 near St Mellons, Cardiff in the early hours of the morning. The five young people were last seen in Cardiff in the early hours of Saturday.

South Wales Police have shared a statement into the investigation.

Here are the facts released so far on this tragedy

Last sighting in Cardiff

Sophie, 20, Eve, 21, and Darcy, 21, who are all from Newport, south Wales, were at the Muffler bar and club in Maesglas in the city on Friday evening, before friends believe they headed to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, south Wales with Shane, 32, and Rafel, 24, from Cardiff, who were also reported missing.

It is believed the friends left Porthcawl and headed back to Cardiff where they were last seen around 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. Family and friends said they had not been active on social media since around 2am on Saturday morning.

The weekend timeline

Friday evening – Sophie, Eve, and Darcy, who are all from Newport, were at the Muffler bar and club in Maesglas in Newport. Ms Smith’s car was still parked outside the bar on Sunday.

Friday night – Friends believe they headed to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl with Shane Loughlin, 32, and Rafel Jeanne-Actie, 24, who were also reported missing.

Saturday morning – The five were last seen around 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. There were reports that they had left another person home.

Saturday – Relatives became increasingly concerned, saying none of those missing had been seen or heard from since 2am on Saturday and none of them had been active on social media over the weekend.

Sunday – Relatives share pictures of the five missing people asking for help in tracing them. On Sunday afternoon Gwent Police issued a statement saying: “We’re appealing for information to find Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, all from Newport, who have been reported as missing. The three women were last seen on Saturday, March 4, at about 2am in the Llanedeyrn area of Cardiff. They had travelled there from Porthcawl in a VW Tiguan, registration number VE64 YLB, with two men. These two men from Cardiff, Rafel Jeanne, 24 and Shane Loughlin, 32, have also been reported as missing. Anyone with any information on their whereabouts is asked to call us on 101 or send us a direct message on social media, quoting 2300071791. All five are also urged to get in touch with us to confirm that they are safe and well.”

Monday morning – Gwent Police confirmed they had found the VW Tiguan and that it had crashed on the A48 at St Mellons. They confirmed the tragic news that three people in the car were dead and two had been seriously injured. The road was closed in both directions as investigations are carried out at the scene.

Family appeals over the weekend

Family and friends were desperately concerned over the weekend and had made several appeals for help in finding the five. They had contacted police who said the three missing women had travelled to Llanedeyrn from Porthcawl in a VW Tiguan, registration number VE64 YLB, with two men.

At around 4.35am on Monday, Gwent Police said the VW Tiguan had been recovered just after midnight in the St Mellons area of Cardiff. They confirmed the tragic news that three people had been found dead and two seriously injured. No further details have been released but specialist police officers are supporting the families.

Police appeal for information

Police believe the car was involved in a road traffic collision and came off the A48. It is the main road that leads from Llanedeyrn to Newport where the missing women lived.

The A48 at St Mellons was closed near the garden centre on Monday as investigations continue at the scene. Gwent Police are leading the investigation, but are being assisted by South Wales Police. A statement from South Wales Police at 8am on Monday morning said: “We are at the scene of an ongoing incident on the roundabout that joins Eastern Avenue with Newport Road and the A48 in Cardiff. The road is currently closed in all directions. It is expected to remain closed for some time.”

The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in line with normal procedures. Officers are appealing for anyone with information to call police on 101, or send a direct message on social media, quoting 2300071791.

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