Nsanje District Police Spokeswoman Agnes Zalakoma said that so far 23 survivors were rescued from the boat, but a team of rescuers is still searching for the missing people.

Other sources, including MP Gladys Ganda, said on social media that the canoe sank in the fast-flowing Shire River as the passengers were traveling to a nearby district for agricultural work.

In Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa, accidents involving boats are frequent, which are usually overloaded with travelers, animals and goods, due to the poor technical condition of these means of transport or the violation of navigation regulations, among other causes.

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