Bamako (AFP) - Ten people drowned on Sunday after their canoe capsized in Mali, a police source told AFP, the first major river accident in the impoverished west African nation in 18 months.
"Ten people drowned Sunday in the town of Tienfala, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Bamako, when their boat capsized," the source said.
The source said the dugout canoe appeared to have encountered difficulties after being hit by "a violent wind" on the Niger river, which bisects the town of around 5,000 in southwestern Mali.
No details were immediately available on the rescue operation, but large dugout canoes typically carry scores of people and large amounts of merchandise along the Niger, which extends as far north as Timbuktu.
Accidents involving rudimentary canoes are frequent but there have been no major disasters since a river boat sinking in October 2013 that saw more than 70 people drown.
Dugout canoes are the main means of transport for residents of Mali's central and northern regions travelling to the towns dotting the Niger, the main river in west Africa.
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