Ethiopia, 21 October 2025 — At least 14 people were killed and 29 others sustained various injuries after a passenger train derailed early Monday morning in Shinile town, located in Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, local authorities have confirmed.
The accident occurred around 2:00 a.m. as the train was travelling from the border town of Dewele to Dire Dawa.
The Deputy Manager of the Dire Dawa–Dewele Railway Company, Muuse Dhabar Cadan, confirmed the incident, saying rescue and investigation efforts are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident.
Regional and district officials have been inspecting the crash site, while medical teams are providing emergency assistance and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals.
Local media outlet Dire TV, citing the Shinile District Administration, reported that investigations are underway to identify the cause of the crash, though it has not yet been confirmed whether it resulted from a technical fault or human error.
The Dire Dawa–Dewele railway line is part of a historic network built by the French over a century ago, serving as a key transport link between Ethiopia and Djibouti. This latest crash is reported to be one of the deadliest incidents recorded on the route in recent years.