Dozens of people die of thirst in the Sahara desert after truck breakdown

The Sahara desert.
Wikimedia/Public Domain
About 50 people died of thirst after a truck transporting them from Mali to Niger broke down in the Sahara desert, local authorities said.
The Nigerien citizens were returning to their families when the truck transporting them became lost and then broke down in a remote area near the borders of Mali and Algeria, according to a statement published on Thursday by the region's governor from Agadez, Niger.
"Stranded without water and unable to repair the vehicle... the travelers found themselves trapped in a hostile environment, where extreme temperatures and a lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult," the statement said.
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Two men walked dozens of kilometers to reach the nearest town and alert authorities about the incident.
The bodies of 49 people were found under the truck and in the surrounding area by rescuers who buried the victims in mass graves dug at the site.
Rescuers also assisted another truck stranded for three days with more than 60 people after the car's battery failed.
Young Nigeriens travel to Mali to work at artisanal mining sites despite risks from militant groups.

Source: G1