49 people died of thirst in a remote part of the Sahara desert after the truck carrying them broke down in northern Niger. Niger is one of the most backward nations on Earth, ranking 188th out of 193 countries.
The group were returning from Mali, a neighboring country that is almost as backward as Niger. Both are extremely poor countries. Mali is not quite as poor as Niger, but it is even more corrupt and even more plagued by violence.
The passengers had gone to Mali to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. While driving back from Mali, the truck broke down, and they ran out of water, stranded 55 miles west of the border town of Assamaka, which is on the border between Niger and Algeria.
Two men survived after trekking 32 miles to a water source and then continuing to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities.
A delegation sent to the scene by the military governor of the Agadez Region learned the truck had traveled for several days from the Malian town of Talhandek about 190 miles from the Niger-Mali border.
Authorities did not say what led to the breakdown or how long the passengers waited.
“On the spot, the findings were particularly disturbing. Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings,” the governor of Agadez said.
Images posted on the internet by the governor’s office showed bodies in the desert with pieces of clothing and other belongings scattered around.
“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 govern’s office said.
The 49 victims were buried in mass graves at the scene in what officials called a “particularly delicate and emotionally exhausting task” for the victims’ next of kin.
