Cargo truck carrying Ethiopian asylum seekers and migrants overturns in Afar, killing 22

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
5m ago
At least 22 people were killed and 65 were injured when a cargo truck carrying Ethiopian asylum seekers and migrants overturned on a highway in Semera in Ethiopia’s Afar region.
Cargo truck carrying Ethiopian asylum seekers and migrants overturns in Afar, killing 22
A What happened
At least 22 people were killed and 65 were injured when a cargo truck packed with Ethiopian asylum seekers and migrants overturned on a highway in Semera in Ethiopia’s northern Afar region. The Afar communications bureau said the truck carried citizens misled by illegal brokers who did not understand the danger of the travel route. The regional government said it was conducting life-saving operations and ensuring injured people received medical attention at Doubtee Referral Hospital. The International Organization for Migration reported 890 deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route between January and September 2025.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Illegal brokers cited in the crash context: The Afar communications bureau said the truck carried citizens misled by illegal brokers who did not understand the danger of the travel route.

  • 2

    Eastern Route described as high-risk with rising movement: The IOM called the Eastern Route the busiest and riskiest migration route in the world and reported a 24% increase in tracked outgoing movements between January and September 2024 and the same period in 2025.

  • 3

    High casualty figures reported on the Eastern Route: The IOM reported 890 deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route between January and September 2025.

Takeaways

The crash in Semera killed at least 22 people and injured 65, and authorities said medical care and life-saving operations were underway while the Eastern Route continues to see high movement and casualties.

Topics

Health & Medicine Public Health World & Politics Migration Law & Public Safety Accidents & Fires

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