At least 22 migrants have been killed and 65 others injured after a lorry they were travelling in overturned in Ethiopia’s north-eastern Afar region, authorities have confirmed.
According to a senior Afar regional official, Mohammed Ali Biedo, about 85 Ethiopian migrants were on board the lorry at the time of the accident, which occurred in the town of Semera.
The migrants were travelling along the eastern migration route, a corridor commonly used by people attempting to reach the Middle East in search of employment.
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Local authorities say investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, while the injured were rushed to nearby health facilities for treatment.
The eastern migration route has long been associated with deadly accidents and human trafficking risks, with migrants often transported in overcrowded and unsafe vehicles.
Meanwhile, six people have been killed and at least 30 others injured in a separate road accident in Kenya’s Kericho County.
The crash occurred at Fort Ternan along the Londiani-Muhoroni road when a passenger bus rammed into the rear of a truck.
Kericho Police Commander James Ngetich said the driver of the bus and five passengers died on the spot, while dozens of others sustained injuries of varying severity.
Police said the Uwezo bus was travelling from Nairobi to Busia when the driver reportedly lost control before crashing into the truck. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals as investigations into the incident continue.
Road safety remains a major concern in both Ethiopia and Kenya, where traffic accidents frequently result in high numbers of fatalities, often due to speeding, poor road conditions, and vehicle overloading.