Overview
- Officials report the Sept. 5 morning collision near Buyo overturned a passenger boat carrying 14 people, with three survivors and 11 unaccounted for.
- Minister of Cohesion and Solidarity Myss Belmonde Dogo announced the figures in a public statement and expressed government support for affected families.
- Search-and-rescue teams are operating along the river, and authorities have not confirmed any bodies recovered.
- The overturned vessel was described as a narrow, canoe-like boat commonly used for travel between riverside communities.
- Background research estimates about 500 hippos in Ivory Coast and identifies the species as the leading source of fatal human–wildlife incidents, with small-boat accidents also a recurring risk.