Zimbabwe ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba leaving 15 dead and dozens missing
An overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, leaving at least 15 people dead and scores unaccounted for as emergency responders search for survivors.
An overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, leaving at least 15 people dead and scores more unaccounted for as emergency responders combed the water for survivors, according to reports from Cbc and Newsday. The tragedy has triggered intense scrutiny over vessel capacities and safety enforcement across the vast inland waterway shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The vessel involved was identified as the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency boat named Mbuya Nehanda. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of Parliament, shared video footage showing people on the shore waving at the aging craft at the start of its journey. Witnesses captured in the video expressed anxiety that the ferry would struggle against strong waves on the lake. Local radio presenter Given Siakanoka, who had relatives aboard the vessel, waited anxiously at the shoreline for updates. I am yet to know whether my relatives have survived,
Siakanoka said.
Media additions
The ferry was traveling from Kariba to Chalala Fishing Camp when it overturned near Long Island on Tuesday afternoon. Rural communities routinely rely on the boat to travel along the lake to the town of Kariba, a crossing that typically takes several hours. State broadcaster ZBC published footage of speedboats rushing toward the overturned hull while a helicopter hovered above.
Discrepancies quickly emerged regarding the exact number of people aboard the vessel at the time of the disaster. According to Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit, ticket sales confirmed 114 adult passengers alongside five crew members. However, authorities acknowledged that an unknown number of children below ticketing age were not accounted for in official manifests. The boat possessed a carrying capacity of 90 people, the agency noted.
Local government officials provided further context on the unfolding emergency. Cecilia Chitiyo, provincial director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, stated that 15 bodies had been retrieved. Fifteen bodies have also been retrieved and Nyaradzo and Doves Funeral Parlours have been engaged to collect these bodies for processing,
Chitiyo said. Families subsequently gathered in deep distress at Andorra Harbour as police, army divers, the Civil Protection Unit, and other rescue teams transferred the recovered bodies ashore.
Conflicting accounts from witnesses and rescue workers suggested the death toll and number of missing could climb significantly higher. One witness involved in the rescue operation stated that while 90 passengers paid for tickets, older passengers over 60 years of age did not pay, pushing the estimated total significantly higher. Other survivors estimated that as many as 164 people, including children, may have been on board. Compounding the confusion, children under four years old did not require tickets, leaving authorities without a definitive passenger manifest.
While the national disaster management agency reported that 77 people were rescued and taken to an island, witnesses at the scene offered varying figures. One rescue participant reported that 63 people were rescued on Long Island while another 12 were picked up by a returning houseboat, leaving dozens of passengers unaccounted for.
In response to the catastrophe, the Local Government ministry recommended that the accident be declared a State of Disaster. Meanwhile, the Kapenta Workers Union of Zimbabwe issued warnings to boat operators regarding vessel inspections. The union cautioned that strong seasonal winds were currently increasing the risk of boats capsizing across Lake Kariba.
Lake Kariba spans more than 200 kilometres in length and reaches up to 40 kilometres in width in certain areas. Formed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by blocking the Zambezi River with a dam wall, the massive reservoir is the largest man-made lake in the world by volume.
Key Details of the Lake Kariba Disaster
- Vessel: RIDA boat Mbuya Nehanda, with a stated carrying capacity of 90 people.
- Casualties: At least 15 bodies recovered; dozens of passengers remain missing.
- Manifest Confusion: Official ticket sales recorded 114 adults and 5 crew members, but children and seniors exempt from ticketing left total numbers uncertain.
- Rescue Location: Survivors and bodies were handled at Andorra Harbour, with search operations focused near Long Island.
Authorities continue to search the waters surrounding the wreck and work to establish a final, accurate passenger manifest.
