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A suspected drowning incident is being investigated on the Zambezi River near Village Mwaanga in Chief Sekute’s Chiefdom, Kazungula District, after a canoe carrying 15 Ethiopian nationals reportedly capsized during an illegal crossing.
The incident which left 10 dead was alleged to have occurred on the night of July 13, 2026, when the group attempted to cross the Zambezi River illegally from Zambia into Botswana, the Department of Immigration and the Zambia Police Service said.
This is according to a joint statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday by the Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka and Police Spokesperson, Godfrey Chilabi.
The matter came to light on July 14, 2026 after members of the public alerted the Department of Immigration to two men who had emerged from the river and were seeking assistance.
Immigration officers responded and identified the two as Menigstu Getachew Arenga, 33, an undocumented Ethiopian national, and Anebo Madamo Demeke, 35, who was found in possession of a passport.
“The matter came to light on 14th July 2026, after members of the public alerted the Department of Immigration to the presence of two suspected Ethiopian nationals who had sought assistance after emerging from the river,” reads the statement.
According to preliminary information obtained from the two individuals, the canoe capsized during the crossing, however, five members managed to swim to safety while ten others were suspected to have drowned.
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“The canoe allegedly capsized during the crossing. They reported that five (5) members of the group managed to swim to safety, while ten (10) others are suspected to have drowned. The whereabouts of the remaining three alleged survivors are currently unknown,” Nshinka and Chilabi said.
Following the report, the Police and the Department of Immigration immediately launched a coordinated search and rescue operation involving the Zambia Army Marine Special Forces, the Police Marine Unit, and the Fire Brigade and Rescue Services.
The duo said the operation was ongoing to locate the suspected victims, trace the reported survivors, and establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“At this stage, no bodies have been recovered, and the reported drowning of the ten individuals remains unconfirmed pending the outcome of the ongoing search operation,” the officials said.
Meanwhile, Nshinka and Chilabi said the two Ethiopian nationals were in lawful custody assisting with investigations and were also being processed for failure to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer upon entry into Zambia.
The two officials appealed to members of the public to report any information that may assist the ongoing search and urge communities in border areas to continue reporting suspected illegal border crossings and human smuggling activities to the nearest law enforcement agency.
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