At least 49 people die of thirst after truck breakdown in Niger desert

Nigerien authorities say at least 49 people died of thirst in an isolated Sahara desert district in northern Niger after their truck broke down, leaving them stranded for days.

The dead were among a group returning from Mali to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha with their families in Niger when they ran short of water, the Agadez governorate said on Friday in a post on Facebook.

The 49 people “died of thirst in a remote area more than 80km (50 miles) west of Assamaka”, added the statement. Assamaka is a main crossing point between Niger and Algeria but also close to the Mali frontier.

“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,” said the governorate, adding that rescuers buried the victims in mass graves.

Two people, however, managed to survive after walking more than 50km (31 miles) on foot to a water source and then onwards to Assamaka, where they managed to alert the authorities, the governorate said.

A delegation sent to the scene by the Agadez Region Governor General Ibra Boulama Issa learned the truck had travelled for several days from the Malian town of Talhandek, about 300km (187 miles) from the Nigerien border.

It was not immediately clear what led to the breakdown or how long the passengers waited. Attempts by the driver, his assistants and the passengers to repair the truck failed.

“On the spot, the findings were particularly disturbing. Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings,” the Agadez governorate said.

The desert zone is a known transit point for refugees and migrants seeking to get from African nations to Europe, with many dying from thirst or starvation in the scorching sands.