Seventeen people, including three children, are missing after their boat capsized in a river in central Malawi on Wednesday.
According to police, the group of 22 people was crossing the Rusa River on their way to a funeral ceremony in the Mchinji district.
Five people were able to swim ashore.
According to John Nkhoma, a local police commander, the boat was too small for the number of passengers.
More rescuers are expected to begin searching for the missing people on Thursday.
Meanwhile, district officials are advising residents to avoid sailing in flooded rivers.
Malawi is still recovering from a devastating tropical storm that killed 511 people and left 533 others missing last month.
