At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 30 others injured after a tragic train crash in eastern Ethiopia’s Somali region. The accident occurred on Monday night in the town of Shinile, when a moving train derailed and collided with a stationary one, according to local reports.
Eyewitnesses told local media that passengers were forced to jump from windows to save their lives as several carriages overturned and others were crushed in the collision. Images from the scene published by Dire TV showed extensive wreckage, with parts of the train mangled beyond recognition.
District commissioner Jibril Omar told BBC Somali that the crash was likely caused by the poor condition of the train and overloading. “The train was very old and unable to handle heavy loads. It was carrying passengers along with goods like rice, pasta, and cooking oil,” Omar said. He added that most of the victims were young people, many of whom survived by leaping from the train before impact.
The train had been traveling between Dewele and Dire Dawa, two key towns near Ethiopia’s border with Djibouti. The Somali regional government’s spokesman, Mohammed Adem, confirmed that all deceased and injured passengers have been recovered from the crash site.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision.
Train accidents are relatively rare in Ethiopia, a country that has invested heavily in modern rail networks, including the Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway. However, much of the older rail infrastructure remains in poor condition, especially in remote regions like Somali.
The tragedy has reignited calls for better railway maintenance and safety checks across the country’s transport network, to prevent future disasters of this kind.
