A 20-month-old girl has died after a hippo attacked the canoe she was riding on, and a teenage girl remains missing after the small boat capsized along Kenya's longest river.
The incident occurred on Tuesday at Mikinduni Village, where a canoe carrying 18 farmers and children was attacked. Sixteen people were rescued from the Tana River.
Details of the Incident
The 20-month-old girl drowned in the river, and another passenger remains unaccounted for in the wake of the rescue mission. Police said the child's body was recovered and taken to Hola County Referral Hospital for a postmortem exam.
The missing child is believed to be a Form Three student, making her 16 or 17 years old. She is believed to be a student at Chanani Secondary School.
Context and Impact
Hippo attacks are common along the Tana River, and locals have called for action to tame the animals. While there are no official figures, wildlife groups estimate that hippos kill about 500 people in Africa each year, making them one of the world's deadliest large land mammals.
The Tana River is the longest in Kenya, stretching about 620 miles from the Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya to the Indian Ocean at Kipini. It powers major hydroelectric stations, supports local wildlife and farming, and gives its name to and flows through Tana River County.
