River found under Sahara

Russian satellites have discovered a river flowing 700 feet under the Sahara.

It carries enough water to supply 50,000 people and is said to surge with "colossal power".

No-one is certain of the source of the river near the desert city of Atar in Mauritania, north west Africa.

The Daily Express reports experts believe the river could help boost the economy of the whole country, most of which is sand and rocky desert.

It says the find was made by satellites which provided multi-dimensional and high precision photographs of the Earth's surface.

They were then analysed to predict underground resources. The water was discovered in a desert about 150 miles east of the Atlantic coast.

The Mauritanian government then asked Russian scientists to test for water near Atar.

They discovered a water current in a borehole at the spot identified by the satellites.

The paper quotes an expert on the project saying: "Such a fountain in the Sahara is really a world miracle."