Nearly 50 die of thirst in Sahara desert after truck breakdown

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.