At least 49 people died of thirst in northern Niger after their truck broke down in the Sahara Desert while traveling home for Eid celebrations.
At least 49 people have died after becoming stranded in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger when their truck broke down during a journey home for Eid al-Adha celebrations, according to local authorities.
Officials in the Agadez region said the victims were part of a group traveling from neighboring Mali to Niger to celebrate the Muslim holiday with their families.
The truck reportedly stopped working in a remote desert area located more than 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, a border crossing area near Algeria and close to the frontier with Mali.
Authorities said the passengers became trapped in extreme desert conditions without access to water or nearby supply points. Despite repeated attempts by the driver, assistants, and passengers to repair the vehicle, they were unable to restart it.
Local officials explained that the group eventually ran out of water while facing intense heat in one of the harshest environments in the Sahara Desert.
Rescue teams later discovered dozens of bodies around the stranded truck. Authorities described the scene as devastating, with many victims found near the vehicle after days in the desert.
The Agadez governorate said emergency teams buried the victims in mass graves following recovery operations in the isolated region.
Two people reportedly survived the ordeal after walking more than 50 kilometers to reach a water source before continuing on foot to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities and rescue workers.
Officials said the truck had traveled for several days from the Malian town of Talhandek before the breakdown occurred. The exact mechanical problem and the length of time passengers remained stranded were not immediately confirmed.
The Sahara Desert route through northern Niger is widely known as a dangerous migration corridor used by refugees and migrants traveling across Africa toward Europe.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that many travelers die in the region each year due to dehydration, starvation, extreme heat, and vehicle failures in remote desert areas.
