Overcrowded train crash in Eastern Ethiopia kills 14

An overcrowded train full of merchants collided with a stationary train in a remote part of eastern Ethiopia, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens, a local official said.

The crash happened Monday night near the city of Dire Dawa as the train carrying merchants and their goods returned from the town of Dewale, near the Djibouti border.

Ibrahim Usman, the mayor of Dire Dawa, confirmed the death toll and expressed his sorrow at the loss of lives in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday.

Witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press said there were delays in helping the casualties, with ambulances not readily available after the crash. They said those injured in the crash were pulled out of the carriages by locals.