Zimbabwe Disaster: 72 Dead After Ferry Capsizes on Lake

Eighteen children are among 72 people who have died after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, police said on Saturday.

The ferry overturned in strong waves on Tuesday while travelling from the town of Kariba to rural and fishing communities in northwestern Zimbabwe. Rescue teams have continued searching the lake and recovered 26 more bodies, raising the confirmed death toll to 72.

The aging ferry was carrying passengers to communities where damaged roads and limited public transport make water travel an important means of transportation.

Authorities have not confirmed the exact number of people who were on board the ferry or how many are still missing. However, estimates suggest that as many as 153 passengers may have been aboard the vessel, despite its stated capacity of 90 people.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said 77 people were rescued following the accident.

The number of children on the ferry was initially unclear because children below the age required for tickets were not included in passenger estimates. However, a police list released later showed that 18 children were among those who died.

Sixteen of the child victims were aged 10 or younger, with the youngest victim reportedly just one-year-old.

The tragedy has raised concerns about the safety of the aging ferry and the number of passengers it was carrying when it capsized.

Lake Kariba, which is shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world’s largest human-made lake by volume. It was created by damming the Zambezi River during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The lake stretches for more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) and reaches up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) in width in some areas. The border between Zimbabwe and Zambia runs through the middle of the lake.

Rescue operations are continuing as authorities work to recover more bodies and establish the full number of people who were aboard the ferry.

The accident is one of the deadliest recent ferry disasters in the region and has left families and communities mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Source: CNN