49 die of thirst in Niger desert after truck breaks down

Forty-nine people died of thirst in an isolated Sahara desert district in Niger after the truck transporting them broke down, authorities said Thursday. The group was returning from Mali for a Muslim festival when they ran out of water, more than 80 km west of Assamaka, a crossing point between Niger and Algeria. Two survivors walked 50 km to alert authorities. The desert area is a known transit point for migrants heading to Europe.