Niger security officials have reported the discovery of 87+ dead bodies mostly women and children who died of thirst at the Niger/Algeria border while migrating to Algeria.
The corpses of the seven men, 32 women and 48 children were discovered and it is believed that all died of thirst after a failed attempt to reach to Algeria which they started in September.
Almoustapha Alhacen a spokesperson for a local aid organization confirmed the death toll and also gave a graphic account of discovering the bodies.
“The corpse were decomposed, it was horrific,” he said.
“We found them in different locations of a 20km radius and in small groups often under trees, or under the sun, sometimes mother and children and some lone children,” he added.
It is alleged the migrants were on the desert for seven days and it was on the fifth day that that the mob left the broken down vehicle to search for water source nearby and died.
It is also confirmed that 21 survived the desert tragedy among them a man and women who were helped to nearby Arlit, 19 others managed to reach the Algerian city Tamanrasset but were later sent back to Niger.
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