(MENAFN) A train crash in eastern Ethiopia on Monday night has claimed the lives of 15 people, local officials reported. The derailment occurred in the town of Shinile, where the moving train collided with a stationary one, according to local media outlets.

The number of injured remains uncertain, with reports indicating between 27 and 29 people were hurt. Photographs circulated by local news sources showed multiple carriages overturned or severely crushed.

District Commissioner Jibril Omar told reporters, "The cause of the accident appears to be the poor condition of the train, which is very old and unable to handle heavy loads. We believe overloading was a major factor in the crash." He added that the train was transporting both passengers and cargo, including rice, pasta, and cooking oil.

Omar also noted, "Most of the passengers were young people, many of whom survived by jumping from the train." The train was en route from Dewele to the city of Dire Dawa when the collision occurred.

Mohammed Adem, a spokesman for the Somali regional government, confirmed that all victims, both deceased and injured, had been recovered from the site. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Train accidents are relatively uncommon in Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous nation. The Somali region, where the crash occurred, is one of the country’s largest and is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Somalis.

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