Bus-truck clash kills 20 in southwest Nigeria

LAGOS,July 9 (Xinhua)

Twenty people were killed when a passenger bus hit a truck on Sunday in southwestern Nigeria's Lagos, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said.

Carrying 20 people, the bus slammed into a truck loaded with sand near the town of Mowo along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in the state, said LASTMA spokesperson Taofiq Adebayo, who confirmed the accident to reporters in Lagos.

According to Adebayo, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle when he saw a truck ahead of him while trying to overtake the tipper truck loaded with sand.

"The bus crashed into the truck, killing the entire 20 people onboard the bus, including the 18 passengers alongside the commercial bus driver and his motor boy," he said, adding the truck driver was not affected.

The bodies of the victims have been deposited at a morgue, said the official.

He advised motorists to desist from speeding and reckless driving, which could lead to the unnecessary loss of lives and property.

Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving.

Courtesy ; Xinhua