The authorities of Agadez Governorate in northern Niger said Thursday that 49 people died of thirst in the desert of the border region between Algeria, Niger and Mali, after the truck they were transporting broke down. According to the same source, Nigerian citizens were buried in mass graves. This desert region, which is a major transit point for African migrants seeking to reach Europe, regularly witnesses tragedies of this kind.

Published on: 06/05/2026 - 09:57

49 Nigerien citizens died of thirst in the desert of the border region between Algeria, Niger and Mali, after the truck they were transporting broke down, according to what local authorities reported Thursday.

The authorities of Agadez Governorate, which administers this region in northern Niger, explained in a Facebook post that they “died of thirst in a remote area located more than 80 kilometers west of Assamaka.”

She indicated that they were returning from Mali after celebrating Eid al-Adha.

She added: "Given their lack of water and their inability to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his assistants, and passengers, they found themselves trapped in an environment where high temperatures and the absence of supply points make survival extremely difficult," noting that they were buried in mass graves.

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The source added that two people "survived this ordeal... and walked more than 50 kilometers before they reached a pool of water and then continued on their way to Asamaka, where they were able" to inform the authorities.

She confirmed that she later found another truck parked more than 60 kilometers from Asamaka, with “more than 60 people on board... stuck for three days in the heart of the desert due to a battery malfunction.”

The authorities reported in a second statement that they provided assistance to them and they resumed their journey.

This desert region, which is a major transit point for African migrants seeking to reach Europe, regularly witnesses tragedies of this kind.

In 2025, at least 35 migrants died in the Niger Desert, according to a non-governmental organization.

In October 2013, 92 Nigerian immigrants died in the Niger desert near the Algerian border, after smugglers abandoned them to their fate after their vehicles broke down.

France 24/AFP

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