At least 15 people have died and 27 others remain missing after an overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation involving police, military personnel, divers and local emergency teams.
Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit said the vessel overturned on Tuesday after encountering strong waves while travelling on the vast reservoir. At least 77 passengers were reportedly rescued from the water.
The ferry was operating between the northern resort town of Kariba and several islands and fishing camps when the accident occurred.
According to preliminary figures from authorities, the vessel was carrying significantly more people than its stated capacity of 90 passengers. Registered ticket records indicated that at least 114 adults were on board, alongside five crew members.
Authorities warned that the actual number of people aboard could be higher because children below the ticketing age may not have been included in the passenger records.
Major Search Operation Underway
Zimbabwe’s police and emergency agencies have launched an extensive operation to locate those still missing.
Rescue teams have been deployed across the accident site, with speedboats, helicopters, divers and an underwater search team involved in the operation.
Footage released by Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster showed rescue boats approaching what appeared to be the overturned vessel while a helicopter hovered above the area.
Personnel from the army and divers from nearby communities have also joined the operation, while Matusadona National Park reportedly provided helicopter support.
The difficult weather conditions have complicated the rescue effort, with strong waves and poor conditions slowing the response and making the search increasingly challenging.
Questions Over Overloading
The reported number of passengers has raised concerns about whether the ferry was operating significantly beyond its safe capacity.
The vessel was reportedly designed to carry no more than 90 people, yet ticket records indicate that 114 adults were aboard, excluding crew members and potentially additional children.
Authorities have yet to establish the full circumstances that led to the vessel being overloaded or determine whether any safety regulations were breached.
Investigators are expected to examine the ferry’s condition, passenger manifest, weather conditions, operating procedures and the circumstances surrounding the reported loss of engine power.
Witnesses Describe Chaotic Scene
Accounts from people familiar with the incident indicate that the ferry was travelling in difficult weather when the disaster occurred.
A witness who spoke to international media described seeing distress signals after the vessel encountered trouble, prompting nearby boats to rush towards the scene.
The witness said the rescue effort was complicated by the weather and the considerable distance involved in reaching the stricken vessel.
Bodies were reportedly seen in the water as rescuers attempted to pull survivors to safety.
Lake Kariba’s Vast Waters
Lake Kariba, located along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is one of Africa’s largest inland bodies of water and is a major centre for tourism, fishing and transportation.
The enormous reservoir lies more than 300 kilometres northeast of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, and stretches for more than 200 kilometres, reaching about 40 kilometres in width at some points.
Created following the construction of the Kariba Dam across the Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the lake gradually filled the surrounding valley and became one of the world’s largest man-made lakes by volume.
The scale of the reservoir can make rescue operations particularly difficult, especially during periods of rough weather.
As search teams continue to scour the lake for the missing passengers, authorities are expected to release further details on the confirmed death toll, the identities of those involved and the circumstances that caused the ferry to capsize.
