10 children in Rwanda drowned after their boat sank in a river, an official says

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Ten students in Rwanda drowned after their boat sank in a river, a provincial governor says.

Alice Kayitesi, the governor of Southern province, told The Associated Press the students drowned on Monday while the boat was trying to cross the Nyabarongo River. The students had just returned from school for the summer holidays.

The bodies of the children, ages 11 to 15, were recovered on Tuesday and Wednesday. Three students and one man survived.

A man who hired the boat has been detained for questioning.

Kayitesi said authorities were investigating reports that the students were being taken across the river to offload building materials.