Authorities in Zimbabwe have confirmed that the number of people killed when an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba has risen to 72, after recovery teams pulled another 26 bodies from the water.
Rescue workers retrieved another 26 bodies from Lake Kariba, raising the confirmed death toll from Tuesday’s ferry accident to 72, officials said.
Police investigations indicate the vessel was overloaded when it overturned. Investigators said the boat left Kariba town harbour with an estimated 153 people on board, despite having a maximum authorised capacity of only 90 passengers.
At least 18 children were among the dead, 16 of them younger than 10, according to state broadcaster ZBC. Local media reports identified some of the youngest victims as Wendy Ndandarika, aged one, and two babies aged 14 months, McDonald Nyasha Gumpo and Hailly Tauro. The ferry’s captain, Sign Patsikadova, aged 59, was also confirmed dead.
Search and recovery operations involving police divers, military personnel and local fishermen were still under way on Saturday, authorities said.
Disaster management officials reported that 77 people were rescued shortly after the vessel capsized. Many were taken to a nearby island before being transferred to health facilities in Kariba town.
Survivors described how strong winds whipped up rough waves that flooded the boat soon after it left port. Passengers asked the operator to turn back toward the shore, but the vessel continued into open water before rolling over.
Some families lost more than one relative in the tragedy. The government has declared a national disaster and sent welfare agencies to distribute food to affected households.
Solomon Machipisa told The Herald, ‘It has been difficult to know who to console first, as almost every homestead has lost a relative, and the worst cases more than five relatives at once.’
The ferry served as a vital link for remote fishing communities along the lake, carrying food supplies and connecting residents to markets and essential services. Its loss is already disrupting food deliveries, residents said, with shops that relied on the boat beginning to face shortages.
Accidents on Lake Kariba are relatively rare, making the sinking one of Zimbabwe’s worst maritime disasters in decades. Formed by human engineering, Lake Kariba is the largest reservoir by volume in the world and lies on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) northeast of Harare.
The sinking has cut off a key transport link for remote settlements, and government welfare teams are now focusing on food distribution while recovery operations remain active.
