44 migrants die of thirst trying to cross the Sahara

At least 44 migrants, including babies, have died of thirst after their vehicle broke down in the Sahara Desert as they were making their way to Libya.

The prefect of Dirkou locality in Niger, Bachir Manzo, said most of the victims were from Ghana. They included three babies, two children and 17 women. Six people survived, and are being cared for in the Dirkou migrant center.

Niger is a major route for west African migrants making their way toward Europe. Some 300,000 migrants passed through the vast west African nation in 2016 alone.

It is impossible to know how many migrants are lost in the desert, as bodies are often left where they lie.