Nearly 50 people die of thirst in Sahara desert after lorry breaks down

Only two survived after trekking more than 50km (30 miles) across the desert to alert the authorities. Niger: Nearly 50 people die of thirst after lorry breaks down in Sahara desert Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The victims were buried in mass graves by the rescue team dispatched to the area People, including several in military-style uniforms, use shovels to dig in a sandy desert area, with dust rising around them Nearly 50 people die of thirst in Sahara desert after lorry breaks down 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, authorities said. The group had been returning from Mali where they had attended a Muslim festival when they ran out of water, stranded more than 80 km (50 miles) west of Assamaka, a major border crossing point between Niger and Algeria. "The travellers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult," said a statement from the Agadez governor. Only two survived, trekking across the desert to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities. The lorry had departed from the Malian town of Telhandek but veered away from its intended route, the governor's statement said. For several days, the driver and passengers made repeated attempts to repair the vehicle, but their efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. "Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his apprentice and passengers, travellers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment," the statement added. "Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings," it said. The victims were buried in mass graves by the rescue team dispatched to the area by local authorities. The lorry left the Malian town of Telhandek but veered off course, authorities said A yellow lorry and a gray SUV are parked in a vast desert landscape, with a few people standing nearby on the open sand While returning from the scene, the rescue team said it came across another broken-down lorry carrying more than 60 people, who had been stranded for three days after a battery failure. The lorry had set off from the Malian town of Harouba, more than 300km (186 miles) from the Niger border, the governor said in a follow-up statement. The rescue team, which included Nigerien troops, distributed water to the "exhausted and distressed travellers" and helped repair the vehicle, allowing them to safely resume their journey. The Niger desert remains a major transit corridor for migrants from across West Africa trying to reach Europe, repeatedly defying the risks associated with the perilous journey. The governor said the tragedy underscored the "vulnerability of young people engaged in migratory and cross-border economic activities, often forced to pass through unstable areas in order to survive or seek better living conditions". Sahara desert: The most dangerous migrant journey of all? African migrants travelling through the Sahara desert Migrants crossing the Sahara desert into Libya ride on the back of a pickup truck outside Agadez, Niger, May 2016 Double-edged sword of overturning Sahara smuggling ban ‘Try or die’ - one man’s determination to get to the Canary Islands A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Growing insecurity in the Sahel made 2025 one of the worst years on record for the abduction of foreigners in Africa. Insurgents have carried out a wave of drone strikes on military positions in the region. The US signals that restoring democracy is no longer a priority and it is ready to work with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The opposition has called for protests after the president's term in office was extended by a year. The rising popularity of lab-grown diamonds heaps pressure on those hunting for the natural gems. A fifth man was discharged and acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence against him. The US plan has sparked public anger and led to demonstrations near the site of the proposed treatment facility. The oil giant says the documents ignore the critical context of the complex operating environment at the time.