A hippopotamus overturned a boat on the Sassandra River in southwestern Ivory Coast on Friday morning, leaving 11 people — including women, children and an infant — missing, officials said.
The vessel, carrying 14 passengers, was traveling near the town of Buyo when a rogue hippo capsized it, Myss Belmonde Dogo, the country’s minister of cohesion and solidarity, said in a statement. Three passengers were confirmed to have survived and search-and-rescue operations remained under way, authorities said.
"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 wrote, adding that the government "joins the pain of the parents and relatives of the deceased and expresses its solidarity to the survivors." The ages of those aboard the boat have not been released.
Local officials and emergency teams deployed to the scene conducted searches along the river and on adjacent banks. The Sassandra is one of several waterways in southern Ivory Coast where hippos are known to live, and authorities urged caution to communities that use the river for transport and fishing.
Hippos are among the largest land mammals in Africa and are known to be highly territorial in water. They can overturn small craft when boats approach too closely or when animals feel threatened, experts say. Adult hippos can weigh several thousand pounds and have been involved in repeated fatal encounters with humans across the continent.
Roughly 500 hippos are estimated to live in Ivory Coast, primarily inhabiting southern rivers, according to local researchers. A 2022 study by Ivory Coast researchers cited by local media concluded that hippos are the country’s most common cause of animal attacks that result in death or injury. Broader estimates of annual human fatalities linked to hippos in Africa begin at several hundred, according to reporting by international outlets.
The incident in Buyo echoes other recent deadly encounters involving hippos. In May 2023, a hippopotamus capsized a boat in Malawi, killing a child and leaving more than 20 people missing, authorities said at the time.
Officials in Ivory Coast did not immediately give a timeline for the search or indicate whether any bodies had been recovered. Local emergency services and community volunteers have been assisting in the operation, and authorities said they would provide updates as more information becomes available.
The government urged river users to adopt safety measures and to avoid travel on waterways at dawn or dusk, when hippos are more likely to be active. Transport by small wooden boats is common in many riverine communities in the region, and incidents involving wildlife continue to pose risks for residents who rely on rivers for daily travel and livelihoods.
Humanitarian and local leaders offered condolences to the families affected. The minister’s statement framed the government response in terms of solidarity with survivors and relatives of those missing, and officials said they would coordinate with local agencies to support rescue efforts and assess longer-term safety measures for riverine transportation.
