Niger Says 49 Die of Thirst After Lorry Breaks Down 80 km From Assamaka
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 5
Niger Says 49 Die of Thirst After Lorry Breaks Down 80 km From Assamaka
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 5
Summary
At least 49 people died in northern Niger after their lorry broke down in a remote stretch of the Sahara, leaving them stranded without water more than 80 km west of Assamaka.
Only two survived, reaching Assamaka on foot to alert authorities after the group, returning from a Muslim festival in Mali, spent days trying unsuccessfully to repair the vehicle.
Rescuers found bodies under and around the immobilized truck and buried the victims in mass graves, according to the Agadez governor.
On the way back, the same team found another broken-down lorry carrying more than 60 people stranded for three days; troops gave them water and helped restart the vehicle.
The disaster highlights the Niger desert's role as a dangerous transit route for migrants and cross-border travelers moving through unstable areas toward Algeria and Europe.