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.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-terrorism publication, security sources said the crash occurred on Friday, August 7.
The victims were reportedly assistant non-commissioned officers who completed their training on Thursday and were travelling when the two buses crashed.
Security sources said 18 other personnel are in critical condition and reportedly remain in comas.
The circumstances surrounding the crash were not immediately known.
Makama said the incident had raised questions about the transportation of military personnel. The publication reported claims that the soldiers were travelling in buses operated by a private company, despite reports that the army has its own troop transport vehicles.
However, the allegations of corruption linked to the use of private transport could not be independently verified.
According to Makama, the tragedy is expected to bring renewed attention to military logistics, troop transportation and safety standards, especially for newly trained personnel.
The publication also said it could not independently verify the reported casualty figures or the allegations surrounding the choice of transport at the time of filing the report.
