Three people are missing after a canoe carrying 13 passengers capsized while crossing the Shire River at Chilongoma Dock in Chikwawa on Friday morning.
The missing passengers are Lute Aron, 45, of Kapasule Village; Ganizani Nzeru, 46, of Sisewu Village, both under Traditional Authority Katunga; and Edna Banda, 65, of Ntondeza Village under Traditional Authority Maseya.
Chikwawa Police spokesperson Sergeant Dickson Matemba said the passengers were travelling to their gardens when water started entering the canoe shortly after it departed, eventually causing it to capsize.
Matemba said some passengers survived by swimming to the riverbank, while others were rescued by another canoe operator. The canoe was being operated by 22-year-old Chisomo Tene.
A search operation is underway to find the three missing passengers, as police have urged canoe operators to observe safety measures when transporting people across the river.