By Our report 5.6.2026
Niger Republic authorities have confirmed that 49 people died after being stranded for two days in the Sahara Desert.
According to reports by the Independent UK the victims were returning from a festival in Mali when the vehicle they were travelling in broke down 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, near the borders with Mali and Algeria.
Two men survive after they trek for 50km before finding water to quench their thirst. They promptly reported to the authorities who launched a search and rescue, but it was too late.
“On the spot, the findings were particularly disturbing. Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings,” the Agadez Governor Gen. Ibra Boulama Issa said.
“Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his apprentice and passengers, travelers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult.”
The 49 victims were buried by responders in mass graves at the scene in what officials called a “particularly delicate and emotionally exhausting task” for the survivors
The responders also aided a truck carrying over 60 people, stranded for three days after its battery failed.