CNN
—
A toddler has died after a ship ferrying greater than 30 villagers throughout the Shire River in Malawi’s Nsanje district was attacked by a hippo, inflicting it to overturn, authorities mentioned.
A police spokesperson, Agnes Zalakoma, mentioned the incident occurred early Monday and 23 of the boat’s 37 passengers had been lacking and feared lifeless within the water, which is infested with crocodiles and hippos.
“Effectively-wishers managed to rescue 13 individuals whereas 23 others went lacking and the lifeless physique of the toddler has been discovered,” Zalakoma mentioned in an announcement Monday, including that the deceased little one was solely one-year-old.
Rescuers are persevering with trying to find the lacking individuals, Zalakoma’s assertion added.
Zalakoma advised CNN Tuesday that it was harmful to cross the river and accidents are frequent.
“It’s too harmful as a result of it (the river) is simply too shallow and on this river there are crocodiles that more often than not assault individuals and in addition hippopotamus that trigger incidents just like the one we’re coping with,” Zalakoma mentioned.
In line with a lawmaker for the Nsanje district, Gladys Ganda, the villagers had been crossing the Shire River to get to their farms on the Malawian border with Mozambique when their boat was hit by a hippo.
Hippos are one of many world’s most harmful animals, and so they can snap a canoe in half with their robust jaws, in response to Nationwide Geographic.
They’re discovered naturally in components of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in east and southern Africa.
Hippo assaults are additionally frequent in sub-Saharan Africa. In December, a two-year-old Ugandan boy was attacked by a hippo which swallowed half of his physique earlier than spitting him out, Uganda’s police mentioned.