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A one-year-old child has died and over 20 people are missing after a boat carrying 37 passengers was attacked by a hippo in Malawi causing it to capsize.
The incident happened Monday (local time) on the Shire River in Nsanje district, an area known for its hippo and crocodile population.
Speaking to CNN, a police spokesperson said 23 people were missing and presumed dead in the water, which is infested with hippos and crocodiles.
“Well-wishers managed to rescue 13 people while 23 others went missing and the dead body of the toddler has been found,” police said in a statement.
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Rescuers are continuing to search for the missing people, however, authorities said the river where the attack took place was too dangerous to cross and that both hippo and crocodile attacks were common.
According to the BBC, pleas from local politicians to have a bridge built across the river have fallen on deaf ears.
Hippos are one of the most dangerous animals in the world and attacks on humans happen regularly in Africa.
Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
A hippopotamus can snap a canoe in half with its strong jaw.
In December last year, a two-year-old Ugandan boy was attacked by a hippo which ended up swallowing half his body before spitting his remains out.
Hippos are very territorial, with females especially known to get aggressive when protecting their young.
They are the second-largest land animal in the world, and it is estimated they kill around 500 people a year in Africa, more than lions.
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