At least 42 personnel of the Niger Republic armed forces have died in a road accident involving two buses near Doukou Doukou, about 55 kilometres from Madaoua.
The crash occurred on Friday, August 7, according to security sources cited by counter-terrorism publication Zagazola Makama.
The soldiers were reportedly assistant non-commissioned officers who had completed their training the previous day and were travelling when the two buses were involved in the accident.
Eighteen other personnel were also reportedly injured and remain in critical condition, with some said to be in comas.
The circumstances surrounding the crash were not immediately clear.
The incident has raised concerns about the transportation arrangements for Nigerien military personnel. Zagazola Makama reported claims that the soldiers were travelling in buses operated by a private company, despite the army reportedly having its own vehicles for troop transportation.
The publication also reported allegations of corruption linked to the use of the private transport service. The claims could not be independently verified.
The crash is expected to increase scrutiny of military logistics, troop transportation and safety standards, particularly in the movement of newly trained personnel.
The reported death toll and allegations surrounding the choice of transport had not been independently verified at the time of publication.
