At least 14 people lost their lives and 29 others were injured when a passenger train derailed early Tuesday in eastern Ethiopia, according to local state media.
The accident occurred around 2 a.m. on the Dire Dawa–Dewele route, a 200-kilometre stretch connecting Ethiopia with neighbouring Djibouti. Local outlet Dire TV reported the incident in a social media statement, noting that several train carriages had overturned and others were severely damaged.
Authorities have not yet released the cause of the derailment, but emergency teams have been deployed to the scene to assist the injured and clear the wreckage.
Although train accidents are uncommon in Ethiopia, the country has witnessed major disasters in the past — including a 1985 tragedy in which over 400 people were killed when a train from Djibouti to Addis Ababa plunged into a ravine.