More than 70 people, including eighteen children, died this week when an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of several more passengers on Saturday, after which the police confirmed a total of 72 deaths. The ferry had capsized amidst rough waves on Tuesday. Police stated that 26 additional bodies were recovered, bringing the death toll to 72. Earlier this month, a major accident involving a boat fire also occurred in Indonesia.
The aging ferry was traveling from the town of Kariba toward rural and fishing communities in the country’s northwest—areas characterized by poor roads and limited public transport. Officials have not disclosed the exact number of people on board or how many remain missing. The accident occurred on Tuesday. The vessel involved was operated by a government agency and is used to transport residents from rural areas surrounding Lake Kariba to the lakeside town of Kariba.
77 People Rescued
It is estimated that there were up to 153 passengers on board, whereas officials state the ferry’s capacity is 90. Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency reported that 77 people were rescued. An official explained that the 77 survivors were taken to a small island in the lake, and boats were subsequently dispatched to bring them back. Officials had initially stated that the number of children on board was unknown, as children below the age requiring a ticket were not included in passenger estimates. A police list released later revealed that 16 of the deceased children were aged 10 or younger, with the youngest being just one year old.
Kariba: The Largest Man-Made Lake
Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake; it was created by constructing a dam across the Zambezi River during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It stretches over 200 kilometers and is up to 40 kilometers wide in some places. Zimbabwe and Zambia share this lake, and their border runs through the middle of it.
