No fewer than 20 persons said to have chartered an 18-seater bus from the Yaba area of Lagos to attend a group party in the Republic of Benin have died in an auto crash in Badagry area of the state.

It was gathered that the 18-seater commercial bus fully loaded with passengers including the driver of the bus and his motor boy also died in the tragic accident.

The spokesman for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Mr. Taofiq Adebayo who confirmed the tragic incident said the accident happened about 9am at Age-Mowo close to Mowo along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

He said, "It involved a Mazda commercial bus with passengers and a truck loaded with sand.

"The driver of the commercial bus lost control when he saw a truck ahead of him while trying to overtake the tipper truck loaded with sand.

"Immediately, 20 people died including the 18 passengers alongside the commercial bus driver and his motor boy.

Adebayo said the remains of the victims have been taken to the Badagry General Hospital morgue.