49 die of thirst after vehicle breaks down in Sahara

Key facts

• 49 people died of thirst in the Sahara Desert in Niger.
• The group was traveling in a truck that broke down.
• The passengers were returning from Eid celebrations in Mali.
• The vehicle was stranded in an isolated district with no mobile signal.
• Only two survivors trekked over 50km to alert authorities.

Forty-nine people have died of thirst after their truck broke down in a remote part of the Sahara Desert in Niger. The passengers were returning from Mali, where they had been participating in Eid celebrations. Their vehicle became stuck in an isolated desert district with no mobile signal, leading to the tragedy. Only two survivors managed to trek more than 50km across the desert to alert the authorities.