Train crash in eastern Ethiopia kills 14

The crash occurred around 2 a.m. as a passenger train travelled from Dewele near Djibouti to Dire Dawa

At least 14 people were killed and 29 injured in a train crash in eastern Ethiopia, local state media said Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 2am as the passenger train was travelling the 200 kilometre (120 mile) route from Dewele town, near Djibouti’s border, to Dire Dawa, according to local officials cited by state media.

“An accident that happened on the Dire Dawa-Dewele line has killed 14 people and caused serious and light injuries on 29 other people,” according to a Facebook post by Dire TV, which did not provide further details.

Photos published by the outlet showed several carriages overturned, and others crushed.

Emergency teams were dispatched to the scene to assist survivors and transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the cause of the crash.

The Dire Dawa–Dewele railway line is part of the historic narrow-gauge track built by the French, linking Dire Dawa with the border town of Dewele.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident, as officials review safety measures across the nation’s railway network.

Train accidents are relatively rare in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with some 130 million inhabitants.

In 1985, more than 400 people were killed and 500 injured after a train travelling from Djibouti to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa fell into a ravine.