A one-year-old child has died and 23 other people are missing after a hippopotamus charged and capsized a canoe on a river in Malawi.

The long-wooden canoe was carrying 37 people across the Shire River towards Mozambique when it was hit by the hippo in the Nsanje District on Monday.

Thirteen people were rescued, according to authorities.

The 23 people missing are feared dead because the search has been going on for more than 24 hours, police spokeswoman Agnes Zalakoma said.

Government minister Abida Mia said local people had told her that hippos often caused problems in the area and there were were calls for authorities to relocate some of the animals.

Weighing up to 8,000Ibs, hippos are the heaviest land animal after the elephant, according to wildlife charity WWF.

There are between 115,000 and 300,000 hippos in the wild, mainly in rivers and lakes throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

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