‎Nearly 50 die of thirst after truck breaks down in Niger’s Sahara desert

Agadez, Niger — At least 49 people have died of thirst in a remote region of the Sahara Desert in northern Niger after the truck transporting them broke down, local authorities have confirmed.
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‎According to the BBC, the victims were returning from neighboring Mali, where they had attended celebrations marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, when their vehicle became stranded more than 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, a key border crossing between Niger and Algeria.
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‎According to a statement from the governor of Agadez, the truck had departed from the Malian town of Telhandek but veered off its intended route. Passengers and the driver reportedly spent several days attempting to repair the vehicle but were ultimately unsuccessful.
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‎”The travellers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult,” the governor said.
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‎With no access to water and no means of repairing the truck, most of those on board succumbed to dehydration.
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‎ Authorities said rescue teams later discovered dozens of bodies beneath and around the immobilized vehicle.
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‎Only two people survived the ordeal. They managed to trek across the desert to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities and prompted a rescue operation.
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‎The victims, all Nigerien nationals, were buried in mass graves by emergency teams dispatched to the area.
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