A passenger ferry overloaded beyond capacity capsized in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 27 missing persons. Authorities have rescued 77 survivors and are intensifying search efforts amid concerns that unregistered children may have also been aboard.
A passenger ferry operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) capsized in Lake Kariba in northern Zimbabwe, causing at least 15 fatalities and leaving 27 people missing as search and rescue operations continue.
Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit (CPU) reported that 77 passengers have been rescued. Some survivors managed to reach a small island in the lake, and officials are dispatching boats to bring them back to shore.
Rescue teams have recovered 15 bodies so far. Specialized water rescue teams, including divers, are conducting searches for those still missing. Helicopters have also been deployed to support operations at the accident site.
Josphat Jaji, the Provincial Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Mashonaland West, revealed that RIDA issued 114 adult tickets for this trip, with an additional 5 crew members on board. However, officials warned that children below ticketing age may have been on the ferry, potentially increasing the actual passenger count.
The Civil Protection Unit stated that the ferry's official capacity is 90 people, but at the time of the incident, there were 114 adult ticket holders plus 5 crew and possibly children onboard, indicating significant overcrowding.
Initial reports indicate the ferry capsized after encountering strong waves in the lake. The vessel was transporting passengers from the town of Kariba to various islands and fishing camps, a journey that takes about five hours.
Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, shared a video showing people on the shore waving as the ferry departed. He noted that many rural communities rely on this ferry as their primary transportation link to Kariba town.
In the video, some shore-side observers expressed concerns about the ferry's condition and questioned whether it could withstand the rough waters of the lake.
Zimbabwe's state television broadcast footage showing several speedboats heading to the accident site, where the ferry was seen capsized in the lake. A helicopter was circling overhead to assist the search and rescue mission.
Zimbabwean police confirmed the ferry sinking and immediate launch of search and rescue operations. The Civil Protection Unit was ordered to coordinate with all relevant agencies to expedite the search for missing passengers.
Officials said the numbers of passengers, fatalities, and missing persons are still under review as rescue operations remain ongoing. There have been suggestions to officially declare the incident a disaster.
Lake Kariba, located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world's largest man-made lake by volume. It was formed in the late 1950s to early 1960s by constructing a dam on the Zambezi River, flooding a large valley to create the reservoir.
The lake stretches over 200 kilometers in length and reaches up to about 40 kilometers wide in places, with the Zimbabwe-Zambia border running through its center.
Authorities are continuing efforts to locate missing persons and verify the true number of passengers onboard. The official cause of the accident, including factors that led to the overloaded ferry capsizing, remains under investigation.
. SourceZBC/Associated Press/ AFP