Death toll in Zimbabwe ferry capsizing rises to 72

Authorities have recovered 25 more bodies from Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, raising the death toll from last week's ferry accident to 72, police announced on Saturday. The overloaded passenger ferry operated by the government's Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) capsized in rough waters on Tuesday, marking a rare disaster on the expansive lake bordering Zambia. This accident is believed to be the deadliest in Zimbabwe's history.

The police statement on Saturday revealed that 3 additional bodies were retrieved, bringing the total to 72. The identification process for the recovered victims is ongoing. Earlier on Saturday, the authorities had announced a rise in the toll to 68 after recovering 22 more bodies. Most of the passengers on the vessel were villagers and fish traders from the surrounding area.

It was reported that the ferry was authorized to carry 90 people but was packed with 114 adults, five crew members, and an unspecified number of children. Civil protection officials had earlier stated that 77 survivors had been rescued from the tragedy.

Hundreds of people gathered at the district hospital in Kariba's lakeside town on Saturday to identify the bodies of their loved ones, according to Zimpapers media. As of the morning, 22 bodies had been retrieved, and the search operation commander, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Muchechesi, expressed confidence in retrieving all the victims. The process was slowed down due to the cold winter weather, which made the bodies take longer to surface.

A memorial service held in Kariba, located nearly 280km northwest of the capital Harare, provided an emotional backdrop before the burials began. Survivors recounted their harrowing experiences, expressing regret over their inability to prevent the tragedy. One survivor, Chance Siyamavhu, recounted how he and his best friend watched helplessly as people struggled to survive as the boat went down, including seven relatives among the deceased.

He emphasized that while people scrambled for life jackets, many lacked the knowledge to use them effectively. Most people were unable to save themselves in the catastrophe. Lake Kariba, straddling the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world's largest man-made lake by volume.