Eight people were killed and one remains missing after two wooden boats capsized overnight into Wednesday in Cameroon’s Far North Region, state broadcaster CRTV reported.

The first accident occurred on the Logone River in Mayo Danay Division, where heavy rain triggered violent waves, causing the boat’s engine to fail and leading to its capsize, local authorities told CRTV. Five of the six people on board drowned, while one remains missing. Rescue workers continue to search for the missing person, who is feared dead.

In a separate accident in the Wina locality of the same division, a hippopotamus attacked a boat crossing the river, killing three people, CRTV reported.

Boat accidents are common in the region during the rainy season, often caused by overloading and severe weather, local authorities said.

Source: Xinhuanet