Nearly 50 people died of thirst after a truck carrying them from Mali ​to Niger broke down in the Sahara desert, ‌local authorities said.

• The Nigerien nationals were returning home to their families when the truck carrying them got lost and later broke down in a remote area near the borders of Mali and Algeria, according to a statement published on Thursday by the governor of Niger's Agadez region.
• "Stranded without ​water and unable to repair the vehicle... the travellers found themselves trapped in the middle of a hostile environment ​where extreme temperatures and the lack of ​supply points make survival extremely difficult," the statement said.
• Two men ‌walked ⁠dozens of kilometres to reach the nearest town and alert authorities about the incident.
• The bodies of 49 people were found under the stranded truck ​and in the ​surrounding area ⁠by responders, who buried victims in mass graves dug on site.
• The responders also assisted another truck ​that had been stranded for three days with more than 60 people on board after its car battery failed.
• Young Nigeriens travel ⁠to ​Mali for work at artisanal ​mining sites despite risks from militant groups.