44 people drown as overcrowded Ferry capsizes on Zimbabwe’s lake Kariba

At least 44 people have died after an overcrowded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, with authorities updating the death toll a day after the disaster.

The ferry sank on Tuesday while travelling in rough weather, with witnesses reporting that bodies could be seen in the water as rescue teams rushed to the scene.

According to Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit (CPU), the vessel was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unspecified number of children when it capsized.

The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency vessel had a capacity of 90 passengers and routinely transported people between the northern town of Kariba and several islands and fishing communities.

The CPU initially reported that 77 people had been rescued and 15 bodies recovered. However, the Zimbabwe Republic Police later revised the death toll to 44.

“The ZRP informs the public that the death toll in the Kariba RIDA boat accident is now 44,” the police said in a statement on X.

The incident is among the deadliest passenger boat disasters recorded on Lake Kariba, which lies along the Zimbabwe-Zambia border and is located more than 300 kilometres northeast of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

The lake is recognised as the world’s largest man-made lake by volume.

Two funeral parlours were reportedly deployed to collect the recovered bodies as rescue teams continued searching for passengers who remained unaccounted for.

A witness, Maxton Kanhema, told AFP that the ferry departed in the morning despite poor weather conditions and may have been hit by a large wave, causing its engines to shut down.

“When we were in the waters, then you could see a distress sign and then boats that were close by responded,” Kanhema said.

He said a helicopter from a national park, along with larger boats, local divers and army personnel, joined the rescue operation.

“People were in distress… There were bodies in the water, and it was a sad situation to witness. Those that could be rescued were rescued,” he added.

A specialised aquatic rescue unit was also airlifted to the area to support the search operation.

The 77 passengers who were rescued were taken to Long Island, located in the middle of the lake.