A ferry disaster on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba has left at least 44 people dead, with 77 others rescued as emergency teams race to find more survivors and recover bodies from the water. The vessel went down on Tuesday after reportedly being struck by a powerful wave, although authorities are still working to establish the exact number of people who were travelling on board.
Police said the ferry overturned after the wave hit it while it was on the lake. Images and video circulating online appeared to show the vessel’s hull turned over and floating on the water after the accident.
The ferry was built to accommodate 90 passengers and five crew members. However, the number of people on the vessel appears to have been higher, with a lake official putting the figure at about 120 people, among them 12 children.
The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit (CPU) gave another account, saying ticket records showed that 114 adult passengers had boarded the ferry. The agency said there could also have been children on the vessel who were too young to require tickets, making the total number of passengers difficult to confirm.
Police said 44 bodies had been recovered from Lake Kariba in their latest update. The figure marked a sharp rise from the 15 bodies that had initially been retrieved as rescue teams continued their work in the area.
At the same time, 77 people have been pulled to safety, according to authorities. Search teams are still combing the lake as efforts continue to account for everyone who was travelling on the ferry.
The incident has also raised concerns about the number of passengers who were actually on the vessel when it sank.
Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, shared a video on X that she said showed the ferry before it began its journey. She said residents had been using the vessel to cross the lake to Kariba town, a trip that takes about five hours.
"We have very hard questions that require honest answers. The officials must release the correct number of people who were onboard," she wrote.
An eyewitness, Maxton Kanhema, told AFP news agency that the ferry had been travelling through poor weather before the incident. He said the vessel may have been hit by a wave, which could have caused its engines to stop.
"People were in distress... there were bodies in the water and it was a sad situation to witness. Those that could be rescued were rescued," he was quoted as saying.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster following the sinking, allowing the government to bring in more resources for the ongoing operation.
Local government minister Daniel Garwe said the move was aimed at ensuring "all necessary resources are mobilised" for the search and rescue effort.
The operation now involves an army boat squadron, a police sub-aqua unit and a privately owned helicopter. The teams are being used to search the lake for survivors and recover those who died.
"The government extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident," Garwe added in a statement.
Lake Kariba sits along the Zimbabwe-Zambia border and is among the world's biggest man-made reservoirs. The lake supports fishing and transport and is also an important source of hydroelectric power for both countries.
Authorities are yet to settle the conflicting accounts over the number of passengers, while rescue and recovery teams remain at the scene.