Published : 06 Jun 2026, 03:59 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:13 AM
Nearly 50 people died of thirst after a truck carrying them from Mali to Niger broke down in the Sahara desert, local authorities said.
● The Nigerien nationals were returning home to their families when the truck carrying them got lost and later broke down in a remote area near the borders of Mali and Algeria, according to a statement published on Thursday by the governor of Niger's Agadez region.
● "Stranded without water and unable to repair the vehicle... the travellers found themselves trapped in the middle of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and the lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult," the statement said.
● Two men walked dozens of kilometres to reach the nearest town and alert authorities about the incident.
● The bodies of 49 people were found under the stranded truck and in the surrounding area by responders who buried victims in mass graves dug on site.
● The responders also provided assistance to another truck stranded for three days with more than 60 people on board after their car battery failed.
● Young Nigeriens travel to Mali for work at artisanal mining sites despite risks from militant groups.
