KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 49 people have died of thirst after their truck broke down in a remote desert area in northern Niger, leaving them stranded for several days.
According to Al Jazeera, the victims were part of a group returning from Mali to Niger to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha with their families when they ran out of water.
Authorities said the deaths occurred about 80 kilometres west of Assamaka, a key crossing point near the Niger–Algeria border and close to Mali.
A statement from the Agadez governorate said the travellers became trapped in a harsh desert environment where extreme temperatures and a lack of water sources made survival impossible after their vehicle broke down.
Despite efforts by the driver, assistants, and passengers to repair the truck, they were unable to do so and remained stranded. Two survivors reportedly walked more than 50 kilometres to reach a water source and later reached Assamaka, where they alerted authorities.
A rescue delegation later found the vehicle in the desert and confirmed multiple fatalities. The victims were subsequently buried in mass graves.
The desert region is a known migration and transit route, where extreme conditions have previously led to numerous deaths among travellers attempting to cross between West African countries and North Africa.
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