An overloaded ferry tragically capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives, while 27 individuals remain unaccounted for, according to the national disaster management agency.
Rescuers were able to save 77 passengers, transporting them to safety on an island within the lake. However, the Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit highlighted that although ticket sales indicated 114 adult passengers were onboard, there may have been additional children below the ticketing age who were not included in the count. The statement also mentioned that five crew members were on the ferry, which has a maximum capacity of 90 individuals.
Mutsa Murombedzi, a local Member of Parliament, shared a video capturing people on the shore waving at the aging ferry as it embarked on its journey. The ferry typically serves rural communities traveling between locations along the lake to the town of Kariba. Concerns were raised in the video about the ferry’s ability to withstand the lake’s strong waves.
Authorities, including Zimbabwean police, initiated a rescue mission following the incident. Zimbabwean state broadcaster ZBC released footage showing speedboats heading towards the overturned vessel on the lake, with a helicopter providing aerial support.
Lake Kariba, situated between Zimbabwe and Zambia in southern Africa, serves as a boundary between the two countries. It stands as the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, formed in the late 1950s and early 1960s through the construction of a dam wall obstructing the Zambezi River. The resulting valley gradually filled with water, creating a massive lake measuring over 200 kilometers in length and up to 40 kilometers in width at certain points. The lake is shared between Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the official border running through its center.