DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least two Ethiopian illegal immigrants have been killed and nine others injured in a road accident in Tanzania's southern highlands region of Mbeya, police said on Wednesday.
Ulrich Matei, Mbeya regional police commander, said the accident occurred after a lorry in which the aliens were travelling in overturned on Tuesday at 7:30 pm at a steep hill in Rungwe district.
"Intelligence reports indicate that the Ethiopians were in transit to neighboring Malawi from Kenya," Matei told a news conference in Mbeya city.
The police official said the illegal immigrants laid beneath woods that the lorry was carrying in order to avoid detection by authorities, including police and immigration officials.
He said after the accident had occurred traffic police rushed to the scene where they found some of the aliens dead under the woods.
"The lorry escaped inspection because it had number plates indicating it was carrying transit goods to other countries," said Matei.
He said the injured Ethiopians were receiving treatment at Makandana hospital as police continued with investigations.
