Bodies of 27 people, believed to be migrants from Ethiopia, found in Zambia

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The bodies of 27 people, believed to be migrants from Ethiopia, were found dumped by the roadside on the outskirts of the Zambian capital Lusaka on Sunday, police said.

"Our preliminary investigations indicate that a total of 28 men, aged between 20 and 38, were dumped in Meanwood Nkhosi along Chiminuka Road in Ngwerere area by unknown people," police spokesperson Danny Mwale said in a statement.

A sole survivor found "gasping for air" in the early hours was rushed to a local hospital, he added.

The spokesperson said the bodies were taken to a mortuary for identification and to determine the exact cause of death.

Mwale said investigations into the matter had been instituted after police were alerted by members of the public.

Zambia is a transit point for migrants, mostly from East African countries, who want to reach Southern Africa.

Victims, often from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Ethiopia, flee conflict and hunger in search for greener pastures.