Africa
Police Discover 27 Suspected Ethiopian Migrants Along Road In Zambia
All 27 probably died of starvation and exhaustion
Zambian police have discovered the bodies of 27 suspected Ethiopian migrants “dead from hunger and exhaustion” in a northern district of the capital Lusaka.
The victims are “all men aged between 20 and 38,” the police said in a statement on Sunday (November 11).
The bodies were taken to the morgue for identification and autopsy. An investigation has been opened.
The alert was given at dawn, around 04:00 GMT, by residents who discovered the bodies.
Once on the spot, the police found a person still alive and “panting” among the bodies thrown along a road. She was rushed to the hospital.
“All 27 probably died of starvation and exhaustion,” police said.
Zambia is a transit point for East African migrants wishing to illegally travel to South Africa, the most industrialized African country that acts as a magnet for the poorest people on the rest of the continent.
In October, the remains of 30 suspected Ethiopian migrants were found in neighbouring Malawi.