49 Nigeriens die of thirst after truck breaks down in Sahara
What's new: Two survivors walked to Assamaka for help, and rescuers later found another stranded truck carrying more than 60 people.
At least 49 Nigerien nationals died of thirst in northern Niger after the truck carrying them from Mali broke down in a remote stretch of the Sahara, authorities in Agadez said. The group had been returning home after Eid al-Adha celebrations when the vehicle veered off route and became stranded more than 80 km west of Assamaka, near the Algeria border. With no water and no way to fix the truck, most of the passengers died in extreme heat. Two men reached Assamaka on foot and alerted authorities. Rescuers found bodies under and around the vehicle and buried the victims in mass graves at the scene. On the way back, the same team also reached another truck stranded for three days with more than 60 people aboard and helped it continue.