At least 49 people have died of thirst in a remote part of the Sahara Desert in the Niger Republic after the truck transporting them broke down, authorities have said.
According to officials in the Agadez region, the victims were part of a group returning from Mali for a Muslim festival when their vehicle became stranded in a desolate area more than 80 kilometres west of Assamaka, a major border crossing between Niger and Algeria that is also close to the Malian frontier.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, the Agadez Governorate said the travellers were left without water and unable to repair their truck despite efforts by the driver, his assistants and passengers.
“Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his assistants and the passengers, the travellers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and the absence of supply points make survival extremely difficult,” the statement said.
The authorities noted that all 49 victims succumbed to thirst in the harsh desert conditions and were later buried in mass graves.
However, two members of the group survived the ordeal. The governorate said they managed to walk more than 50 kilometres to reach a water source before continuing to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities about the tragedy.
The Sahara corridor around Assamaka is a well-known transit route for migrants and travellers moving across West and North Africa, particularly those seeking to reach Europe through Algeria and Libya. The route is notorious for its harsh climate, with many migrants having lost their lives over the years due to dehydration, starvation and exposure to extreme temperatures.
The latest incident underscores the dangers faced by people travelling through one of the world’s most unforgiving desert landscapes, where access to water, rescue services and communication is often limited.
