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49 people die of thirst in Sahara desert – Lorry broke down in northern Niger, stranding group returning after celebrating Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Mali

&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpcnt">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"wpa">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<span class&equals;"wpa-about">Advertisements<&sol;span>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<div class&equals;"u top&lowbar;amp">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<amp-ad width&equals;"300" height&equals;"265"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; type&equals;"pubmine"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-siteid&equals;"109460728"&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab; data-section&equals;"1">&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;amp-ad>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&Tab;&Tab;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d21ea6ae691e692763efbb25ea20b5de wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;270404&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>At least 49 people have died of thirst in a remote part of the Sahara desert in northern Niger after the truck carrying them broke down <&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-50a8bf454d355cd58bed8d1854720851 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;270404&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>&&num;8220&semi;The travelers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Governor of Agadez region<&sol;strong> <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c6cce7b856b29bed9ae55bc27f79a690 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;270404&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Group were returning from Mali&comma; where they had attended celebrations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30df16b1e9ebe13c80cac4446b3a93e2 wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;270404&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>The group ran out of water&comma; stranded more than 50 miles west of Assamaka&comma; a major border crossing point between Niger and Algeria<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-64a3d5577f89217af4204eb7663f540d wp-block-paragraph" style&equals;"color&colon;&num;270404&semi;font-size&colon;14px"><strong>Only two people survived after walking more than 31 miles on foot to a water source&comma; before proceeding to Assamaka&comma; where they alerted authorities<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;49-people-die-of-thirst-in-Sahara-desert-after-lorry-breaks-down-1&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-498897" style&equals;"width&colon;840px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The 49 victims&comma; all Nigerien&comma; were buried in mass graves by the rescue team dispatched to the area by authorities from the Agadez governorate<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">49 people have died of thirst in a remote part of the Sahara desert in northern Niger after the truck carrying them broke down&comma; the authorities say&period;<br>The group were returning from Mali&comma; where they had attended celebrations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha&comma; when they ran out of water&comma; stranded more than 50 miles west of Assamaka&comma; a major border crossing point between Niger and Algeria&period;<br>&&num;8220&semi;The travelers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult&comma;&&num;8221&semi; said General Ibra Boulama Issa&comma; the governor of Niger&&num;8217&semi;s Agadez region&period;<br>Two people managed to survive after walking more than 31 miles on foot to a water source&comma; before proceeding to Assamaka&comma; where they alerted authorities&period;<br>&&num;8220&semi;This is something we have been working against&comma; for years&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Chehuo Azizou&comma; the head of a local NGO said&period;<br>&&num;8220&semi;We have been sensitizing drivers&comma; travelers and any person involved immigration activities about the risk of crossing the desert&period; This recent incident is not unusual&period; Generally&comma; we witness such cases on the route heading to Libya or Algeria&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;49-people-die-of-thirst-in-Sahara-desert-after-lorry-breaks-down-2&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-498898" style&equals;"width&colon;830px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The lorry reportedly left the Malian town of Telhandek but veered off course&comma; ultimately being bogged down in the desert with catastrophic consequences<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">In this latest case&comma; the lorry had departed from the Malian town of Telhandek but veered away from its intended route&comma; the Agadez governor&&num;8217&semi;s statement said&period;<br>The driver and passengers made repeated attempts to repair the vehicle over several days&comma; but their efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful&period;<br>A delegation sent by the Agadez Region Governor found the victims&&num;8217&semi; bodies under and around the immobile truck&period;<br>&&num;8220&semi;Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle&&num;8221&semi; most were unable to survive&comma; the statement added&period;<br>&&num;8220&semi;Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings&comma;&&num;8221&semi; it said&period;<br>The victims&comma; all nationals of Niger&comma; were buried in mass graves by the rescue team dispatched to the area by local authorities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;konniemoments&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2026&sol;06&sol;49-people-die-of-thirst-in-Sahara-desert-after-lorry-breaks-down-3&period;png" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-498899" style&equals;"aspect-ratio&colon;1&period;4499179882418038&semi;width&colon;840px&semi;height&colon;auto"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>The group&comma; all Nigerien&comma; were returning from Mali&comma; where they had attended celebrations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha&comma; when they ran out of water&comma; stranded more than 50 miles west of Assamaka&comma; a major border crossing point between Niger and Algeria<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">While returning from the scene&comma; the rescue team said it came across another broken-down lorry carrying more than 60 people&comma; who had been stranded for three days after a battery failure&period;<br>The lorry had set off from the Malian town of Harouba&comma; more than 186 miles from the Niger border&comma; the governor said in a follow-up statement&period;<br>The rescue team&comma; which included Nigerien troops&comma; distributed water to the &&num;8220&semi;exhausted and distressed travelers&&num;8221&semi; and helped repair the vehicle&comma; allowing them to safely resume their journey&period;<br>The Niger desert remains a major transit corridor for migrants from across West Africa trying to reach Europe&comma; repeatedly defying the risks associated with the perilous journey&period;<br>Authorities in the nearest city&comma; Agadez&comma; noted that the tragedy underscored the &&num;8220&semi;vulnerability of young people engaged in migratory and cross-border economic activities&comma; often forced to pass through unstable areas in order to survive or seek better living conditions&&num;8221&semi;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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