At least 44 people have died after a ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, turning a routine journey across one of Africa’s largest reservoirs into a major rescue operation.
The ferry overturned on Tuesday after it was struck by a strong wave, according to Zimbabwean police. Seventy-seven people have so far been rescued, while teams continue to search the lake for survivors and victims.
The vessel was built to carry 90 passengers and five crew members. But officials have given differing figures for the number of people who were aboard.
The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit said ticket records showed that 114 adults had boarded the ferry. It said there may also have been children below the age at which tickets are required.
A lake official previously put the number of passengers at 120, including 12 children.
The discrepancy has raised questions about how many people were actually on the vessel when it overturned.
Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of Parliament, shared a video online that she said showed the ferry at the beginning of its journey. She said residents had been using the service to travel to Kariba town, a journey that can take about five hours.
“We have very hard questions that require honest answers,” Ms Murombedzi wrote. She called on officials to provide an accurate account of the number of people who were on board.
Survivors describe chaos
An eyewitness, Maxton Kanhema, told Agence France-Presse that the ferry had been travelling in poor weather when it appeared to be struck by a wave.
He said the engines may have stopped before the vessel overturned.
“People were in distress,” Mr Kanhema said. “There were bodies in the water and it was a sad situation to witness.”
The ferry’s overturned hull was visible floating on the lake in footage circulated online.
Police said 44 bodies had been recovered, a sharp increase from an earlier figure of 15. Rescue teams were continuing to search the water.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster as the scale of the tragedy became clearer.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said the declaration would allow the authorities to mobilise additional resources for the operation.
The response includes army boats, a police underwater search team and a privately owned helicopter.
“The government extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident,” Mr Garwe said.
A vital waterway
Lake Kariba stretches along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Created by the construction of the Kariba Dam in the 1950s, it is one of the world’s largest artificial reservoirs.
The lake supports fishing and transport and plays an important role in electricity generation for both countries.
The disaster has now brought renewed attention to safety on the waterway, particularly as authorities work to establish exactly how many people were aboard the ferry and what caused it to capsize.
For families waiting along the shore, the immediate concern remains the search for those still missing.
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