49 people died after a truck broke down in the Sahara desert at the junction of Niger, Mali and Algeria borders. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
All the deceased are citizens of Niger. They were returning home from a religious festival in Mali. The journey of over 300 kilometers was supposed to take several days.
However, the driver lost his way, and the truck broke down in an uninhabited desert area. Two men walked 50 kilometers to a water source, then to a nearby settlement and called for help. But when rescuers arrived, all 49 people were dead.
According to Niger authorities, the chances of survival in such extreme conditions are very low. The passengers could not repair the vehicle and could not find water. The deceased were buried in a local cemetery.