The accident occurred in Semera, located in the northern Afar region several hundred kilometres west of Djibouti, local authorities reported on Tuesday

By Asaye Bankole

At least 22 people were killed and 65 others injured when a cargo truck carrying Ethiopian asylum seekers and migrants overturned on a highway.

The accident occurred in Semera, located in the northern Afar region several hundred kilometres west of Djibouti, local authorities reported on Tuesday.

“The accident occurred when a truck overturned while carrying passengers who had been misled by illegal brokers and were unaware of the dangers of the travel route,” the Afar communications bureau said in a Facebook statement.

“The regional government has been carrying out all necessary life-saving operations since the accident and is currently ensuring that the injured receive full medical care at Doubtee Referral Hospital.

The government extends its condolences and strength to the families, relatives, and friends of those who died.”

Ethiopia is a key departure point for the so-called Eastern Route, which asylum seekers and migrants use to leave the Horn of Africa including countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti often seeking employment in Gulf nations.

Thousands of migrants travel this route across the Red Sea, most frequently from Djibouti to Yemen, in search of work as labourers or domestic workers.

Between January and September 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 890 deaths and disappearances along the Eastern Route.

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