Ethiopia Train Derailment Near Awash Kills 392 People in 1985

The Derailment Near Awash

The passenger train originated in Dire Dawa and traveled toward the Addis Ababa-Republic of Djibouti railway connection. As it crossed a 40-foot-high (approximately 12-meter) bridge near Awash—located roughly 90 miles east of the capital, Addis Ababa—it was traveling at an excessive speed. The velocity caused the train to derail, sending multiple carriages plunging off the bridge and into the rugged canyon below.

Complex Rescue Operations in the Ravine

The sheer topography of the ravine complicated rescue and recovery efforts immediately following the disaster. The Ethiopian News Agency reported that authorities deployed helicopters to evacuate survivors from the steep terrain. The multi-agency response involved members of the Ethiopian Army, the Ministry Health, the Red Cross, and local hospital workers, who transported wounded passengers to nearby medical facilities.

Investigation and Cause of the Crash

Following the disaster, the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport launched a formal investigation led by Minister of Transport and Communications Yussuf Ahmed. Investigators concluded that the derailment stemmed from the train exceeding speed limits while negotiating a sharp curve on the rail line. Authorities subsequently detained the train’s engineer for an official inquiry. While the government initially considered whether anti-government guerrillas might have targeted the infrastructure, that hypothesis was never substantiated; the accident location was more than 200 miles from the Somali border, which served as the basis for the guerrillas.

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