At least 15 dead, 27 missing after overloaded ferry capsizes on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba

At least fifteen individuals lost their lives and twenty-seven remain unaccounted for following the capsizing of an overloaded ferry on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday. Rescue efforts are ongoing as the national disaster management agency reports this unfolding emergency. Seventy-seven survivors reached a small island on the lake, while rescue boats were dispatched to bring them back to the mainland.

Speedboats moved towards the overturned vessel, and a helicopter hovered overhead, capturing the scene on video. An underwater team was deployed for the extensive search and rescue operation on the massive reservoir.

Initial reports stated that ninety passengers and five crew members were on board the ferry. However, other sources suggested higher numbers based on ticket sales, which initially indicated one hundred fourteen adults plus five crew members. The discrepancy may be due to children below the ticketing age who were likely on the vessel but not recorded in official counts. The ferry had a capacity for only ninety people, prompting authorities to classify the accident as a disaster.

Lake Kariba, shared between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the largest artificial lake in the world by volume. Built in the late nineteen fifties and early sixties, the reservoir stretches over two hundred kilometers long and up to forty kilometers wide. The nearby border between Zimbabwe and Zambia runs directly through the middle of the lake.

Local residents rely on the aging ferry for their journey across the lake to Kariba town, which takes approximately five hours. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, shared a video on social media, showing people on shore waving off the ferry as it departed. Concerns were raised about the ferry's ability to withstand strong waves, and Murombedzi demanded transparency regarding the accurate passenger list.

The officials were urged to release the correct number of people onboard. Police stated that further details would be released soon, and two funeral parlours are collecting the recovered bodies. As search and rescue operations continue across the vast reservoir, the tragedy has intensified national focus on maritime safety standards and regulatory enforcement on shared waterways.