An overloaded ferry overturned on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 15 individuals, while 27 others remain missing, as reported by the national disaster management agency.
The agency stated that 77 individuals were rescued and transported to an island on the lake. However, the Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit indicated that there were 114 adult passengers on board, verified through ticket sales. The presence of children below the ticketing age who were unaccounted for was also highlighted.
Additionally, the statement mentioned that the ferry carried five crew members and had a maximum capacity of 90 people. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local Member of Parliament, shared a video showing individuals on the shore waving at the ferry as it embarked on its journey. The aging ferry was a crucial mode of transport for rural communities traveling along the lake to Kariba town.
Concerns were raised by onlookers on the shore about the ferry’s ability to withstand the lake’s rough waves. Zimbabwean authorities initiated a rescue operation, with police and speedboats deployed to the scene of the overturned vessel while a helicopter provided aerial support.
Lake Kariba, located in southern Africa, serves as a boundary between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is renowned as the largest man-made lake globally in terms of volume, originating from the construction of a dam wall on the Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The lake spans over 200 kilometers in length and up to 40 kilometers in width at certain points, with the official border between Zimbabwe and Zambia passing through its center.