Hippo capsizes boat, leaving 11 people missing — including children and baby
A rogue hippo capsized a boat packed with passengers in the Ivory Coast, leaving 11 people, including children and a baby, missing. Uryadnikov Sergey – stock.adobe.com
A hippopotamus capsized a passenger boat on the Sassandra River in southwestern Ivory Coast, leaving 11 people — including women, children, and an infant — missing, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred Friday morning near the town of Buyo. According to Myss Belmonde Dogo, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Cohesion and Solidarity, the boat was carrying 14 passengers when it was overturned by the animal. Only three passengers have been confirmed as survivors.
“It is with deep sorrow that we learned that 11 people, including women, girls, and a baby, have gone missing following a boat capsizing caused by a hippo,” Dogo said in a statement. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
The government expressed its condolences and solidarity with the victims’ families and the survivors. “Distressed by this tragedy that upsets us all, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire joins the pain of the parents and relatives of the missing,” Dogo added.
Ivory Coast is home to roughly 500 hippos, mainly living in rivers in the southern region. According to a 2022 study, hippos are the leading cause of fatal animal attacks in the country, with some estimates suggesting they kill around 500 people annually.
Hippos, the second-largest land mammals after elephants, can weigh up to 7,000 pounds and reach lengths of 11 feet.
Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Africa. In May 2023, a hippopotamus capsized a boat in Malawi, resulting in the death of a child and the disappearance of over 20 villagers.
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