Death toll rises to 44 after an overloaded ferry capsized on a Zimbabwe lake

The death toll has risen to 44 after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, according to police. The bodies of the victims have been retrieved from the lake, which forms part of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. However, the number of injured or missing individuals following Tuesday's disaster involving the government-operated ferry remains undisclosed.

The ferry, operated by a government agency, was carrying at least 114 adult passengers and five crew members when it capsized. The disaster management agency reported that 77 people had been rescued, but it is unclear how many individuals were on board the ferry due to the figures only including those who purchased tickets. Children below the ticketing age might have been present on the vessel.

The ferry had a carrying capacity of 90 people, according to authorities. It serves as a means for people from rural communities around the lake to reach the town of Kariba on the shore. Local member of Parliament Mutsa Murombedzi shared a video of people onshore waving at the ferry as it set off, indicating some concerns about the vessel's ability to handle strong waves.

Lake Kariba, the largest man-made lake in the world by volume, was created in the late 1950s and early 1960s when a dam was constructed on the Zambezi River. The lake stretches over 200 kilometers (124 miles) in length and reaches up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) in width in certain areas. The official border between Zimbabwe and Zambia runs through the middle of the lake.