At least 49 people have died of thirst in a remote area of the Sahara Desert in northern Niger after the truck carrying them broke down during a journey from Mali, local authorities have said.
The victims were returning from Mali, where they had attended celebrations marking Eid al-Adha, when their vehicle became stranded more than 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, a major border crossing between Niger and Algeria.
According to a statement by the governor of the Agadez region, the travelers found themselves trapped in an extremely hostile environment characterized by scorching temperatures and a lack of water sources or supply points.
Only two people survived the ordeal. They managed to trek across the desert to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities and triggered a rescue operation.
Officials said the truck had departed from the Malian town of Telhandek but veered off its intended route. The driver and passengers reportedly spent several days attempting to repair the vehicle, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Without access to water and unable to continue their journey, most of the passengers succumbed to dehydration. Rescue teams later discovered dozens of bodies beneath and around the immobilized truck.
The victims, all Nigerien nationals, were buried in mass graves by emergency teams dispatched to the area by local authorities.
While returning from the rescue mission, the team encountered another truck carrying more than 60 people that had been stranded in the desert for three days after suffering a battery failure. The vehicle had departed from the Malian town of Harouba, located more than 300 kilometers from the Nigerien border.
Rescuers, including members of the Nigerien armed forces, provided water to the exhausted passengers and helped repair the vehicle, allowing the group to continue its journey safely.
The tragedy highlights the dangers faced by travelers and migrants crossing the Sahara, one of the world's harshest environments. Northern Niger, particularly the Agadez region, remains a major transit corridor for migrants from West Africa seeking to reach North Africa and Europe despite the significant risks associated with the journey.
Local NGO leader Chehuo Azizou said such incidents are not uncommon, noting that organizations have spent years raising awareness among drivers and travelers about the dangers of desert crossings. The governor of Agadez described the disaster as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of people engaged in migration and cross-border economic activities, many of whom are driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities.
