Hippo Capsizes Boat in Ivory Coast, 11 Missing, Including Children and Infant (video)

A rogue hippo capsized a boat packed with passengers in the Ivory Coast, leaving 11 people, including children and a baby, missing.

A hippopotamus capsized a passenger boat in Ivory Coast’s Sassandra River, leaving 11 people missing, including children and a baby, authorities confirmed. The accident occurred Friday morning in the southwestern town of Buyo.

The vessel, carrying 14 passengers, was overturned by the hippo, according to Myss Belmonde Dogo, Ivory Coast’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.

Three passengers were rescued, but search and rescue teams continue to look for the missing. The ages of those involved have not yet been released.

“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 added.

Ivory Coast is home to roughly 500 hippos, most of which live in southern rivers. The animals are among the leading causes of deadly wildlife attacks in the country. A 2022 study by Ivorian researchers found that hippos were the most frequent culprits in animal-related injuries and deaths, with global estimates suggesting they kill around 500 people annually.

Hippos are the second-largest land mammals after elephants and can reach up to 7,000 pounds, measuring 11 feet long and 5 feet tall.

The tragedy follows a similar incident in Malawi in May 2023, when a hippopotamus capsized a boat, killing one child and leaving over 20 villagers missing.