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| Over 40 people 'die of thirst' in Sahara Desert | Over 40 people 'die of thirst' in Sahara Desert |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Survivors say 44 people have died of thirst after their truck broke down in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger, the Red Cross has told the BBC. | Survivors say 44 people have died of thirst after their truck broke down in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger, the Red Cross has told the BBC. |
| The six survivors, all women, walked to a remote village and are being looked after in Dirkou, Niger, Red Cross official Lawal Taher said. | The six survivors, all women, walked to a remote village and are being looked after in Dirkou, Niger, Red Cross official Lawal Taher said. |
| They say several children are among the dead. | |
| The Ghanaians and Nigerians were trying to get to Libya, reports Nigerien news site Sahelien. | The Ghanaians and Nigerians were trying to get to Libya, reports Nigerien news site Sahelien. |
| So far no-one has visited the site to identify the bodies, Mr Taher added. | So far no-one has visited the site to identify the bodies, Mr Taher added. |
| The route from Niger to Libya is one of the main ways migrants reach North Africa before crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe. | The route from Niger to Libya is one of the main ways migrants reach North Africa before crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe. |
| Crossing the Sahara is one of the most perilous parts of the journey as migrants are crammed into pickup trucks often with only enough room for a few litres of water, reports Reuters news agency. | Crossing the Sahara is one of the most perilous parts of the journey as migrants are crammed into pickup trucks often with only enough room for a few litres of water, reports Reuters news agency. |
| Authorities told Reuters that is it almost impossible to know how many have died in the vast and unpoliced Sahara. | Authorities told Reuters that is it almost impossible to know how many have died in the vast and unpoliced Sahara. |
| Last June, the bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were found in the Sahara Desert near Niger's border with Algeria. | Last June, the bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were found in the Sahara Desert near Niger's border with Algeria. |
| It appeared they had died of thirst after being abandoned by their smuggler, a government minister said at the time. | It appeared they had died of thirst after being abandoned by their smuggler, a government minister said at the time. |