One person has been confirmed dead while three others remain missing after a canoe capsized on the Shire River at Chilala Dock in Chilala Village, under Traditional Authority Kasisi in Chikwawa District.
According to Chikwawa Police Public Relations Officer, Dickson Matemba, the incident occurred on 20 October 2025 when eight people were crossing the river on their way home after harvesting maize from their fields.
“Four of the passengers managed to swim to safety, while the other four were swept away by the river,” Matemba said.
The body of one of the missing individuals, identified as Vikinia Kandisan, was recovered on 21 October 2025 along the riverbanks.
Medical personnel who conducted a postmortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was suffocation due to secondary drown