44 Nigerians, Ghanaians ‘die of thirst’ as vehicle breaks down in Sahara Desert

Not less than 44 persons – Nigerians and Ghanaians – have died of thirst in the Sahara Desert, in northern Niger.

The West Africans lost their lives after their truck broke down in the desert, the BBC quotes Red Cross as saying.

Six women, who survived the ordeal, were said to have told the story of how their compatriots died.

Children were among the dead, said the survivors.

According to Lawal Taher, a Red Cross official, the women walked to a remote village and are being looked after in Dirkou, Niger.

Taher said no one has visited the site to identify the bodies.

The dead Nigerians and Ghanaians were reportedly trying to get to Libya.

Thousands of migrants cross the Sahara to reach Libya on a yearly basis but many never make it.

The bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were in June 2016 found in the Sahara Desert.