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Rogue hippo capsizes boat along Sassandra River in Ivory Coast, 11 people missing
A hippopotamus overturned a boat on Ivory Coast’s Sassandra River, leaving 11 people, including children and a baby, missing. Only 3 passengers survived.
A rogue hippopotamus overturned a boat with passengers in the Ivory Coast, leaving 11 people including children and a baby missing, authorities reported, as reported by New York Post.
The boat, carrying 14 people, was traveling along the Sassandra River near the southwestern town of Buyo on Friday morning when the hippo capsized it, according to a statement from Myss Belmonde Dogo, the country’s Minister of Cohesion and Solidarity.
“It is with deep sorrow that we learned that 11 people, including women, girls, and an infant, have gone missing following a boat capsized caused by a hippo,” Dogo said.
What we know about the passengers
The ages of the passengers involved have not been disclosed. Only three survivors have been confirmed, according to authorities. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate the missing, Dogo added.
“Distressed by this tragedy that upsets us all, the Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire joins the pain of the parents and relatives of the deceased and expresses its solidarity to the survivors,” Dogo wrote.
Around 500 hippos live in the Ivory Coast, mostly in the southern rivers, CBS reported.
Hippos are most common cause of animal-related deaths
These massive animals are the most common cause of animal-related deaths and injuries in the country, according to a 2022 study by Ivory Coast researchers.
Estimates of the number of people killed by hippos each year start at around 500, the report said.
Hippos are the second-largest land mammals after elephants. They can weigh up to 7,000 pounds, grow as long as 11 feet, and stand about 5 feet tall, according to animal experts.
In May 2023, a hippopotamus capsized a boat in Malawi, causing the death of one child and the disappearance of over 20 villagers.
