Ten Ethiopian nationals are feared to have drowned after a canoe they were using to illegally cross the Zambezi River into Botswana capsized near Mwaanga Village in Chief Sekute’s Chiefdom of Kazungula District.
According to a joint statement by the Zambia Police Service and the Department of Immigration, the incident occurred on Monday night when a group of 15 Ethiopian nationals attempted to cross the river.
Authorities said members of the public alerted immigration officers after two Ethiopian nationals emerged from the river seeking assistance.
The two were identified as Menigstu Getachew Arenga, 33, who was found without immigration documents, and Anebo Madamo Demeke, 35, who was in possession of a passport but had failed to report to immigration authorities upon entering Zambia.
The survivors told authorities that the canoe overturned while the group was crossing the river.
According to their account, five people managed to swim to safety, while 10 others are believed to have drowned. However, the whereabouts of three of the reported survivors remain unknown.
Following the incident, police and immigration officers launched a search and rescue operation involving the Zambia Army Marine Special Forces, the Zambia Police Marine Unit, and the Fire Brigade and Rescue Services.
Authorities said the operation is ongoing to locate the suspected victims, trace the missing survivors and establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The joint statement noted that no bodies had been recovered at the time of publication, adding that the reported drowning of the 10 individuals remains unconfirmed pending the outcome of the search operation.
Meanwhile, the two Ethiopian nationals are in police custody assisting with investigations and are also being processed for alleged immigration offences.
The Zambia Police Service and the Department of Immigration have appealed to members of the public, particularly those living in border communities, to report suspected cases of illegal border crossings and human smuggling activities.
