Hippo capsizes riverboat on Shire River, Malawi

Posted by Jordyn Johnson on 17 May 2023

A hippo attacked a packed riverboat on the largest river in Malawi, the Shire River, on Monday morning.

A riverboat packed with 36 workers and a one-year-old boy capsized after colliding with a hippo according to The Guardian. 14 people were able to swim to shore or were rescued by villagers who dived into the water. 23 people are still missing, and the baby’s body was retrieved by rescuers.

hippo riverboat Malawi

The incident took place in the Nsanje district in the southern region of Malawi.

Police spokesperson for Nsanje district Agnes Zalakoma told the BBC, ‘Officers have been on the scene since yesterday [Monday] when the accident was reported, searching for missing persons.’

The river is home to crocodiles and hippos and overcrowded canoes and boats have capsized in the past, leading to villagers drowning. However, it is very rare for a hippo to attack a boat in that area of Malawi.

The local MP Glenda Ganda has called for a bridge to be built over the river to prevent villagers from risking their lives every time they go to work. Unfortunately, ‘her appeal has so far fallen on deaf ears.’

hippo riverboat Malawi

Picture: GettyImages

Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured. 

TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

ALSO READ: Paraglider rescued from tree by Hermanus High School learners






yoast-primary - 1004431
tcat - Travel news
tcat_slug - travel-news
tcat2 - Travel news
tcat2_slug - travel-news
tcat_final -