A hippopotamus charged into and capsized a canoe on the Shire River in southern Malawi , African country, near the border with Mozambique. The Shire is Malawi’s largest river.The river is home to many hippos and crocodiles. The long wooden canoe was carrying 37 people. They were on the way to work in their fields. 23 people were missing after incident and a one-year-old child died. In fact, now all are feared dead. Malawian police rescued 13 with the help of World Food Programme personnel who were working in the area.
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera sent Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia to the scene. Boat accidents are common in Malawi. Hippos often caused problems in the Nsanje district. They tend to be territorial and female hippos are known to be extremely aggressive. Hippos are estimated to kill about 500 people a year in Africa. Local MP Gladys Ganda in Malawi has repeatedly called for a bridge to be built so that people do not have to risk their lives crossing the river in boats.
