Lake Kariba Ferry Tragedy: Captain Among 15 Dead, 77 Rescued As Search Continues For 27 Missing
A passenger ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, leaving at least 15 people dead and 27 others unaccounted for.
The Mbuya Nehanda ferry overturned near Long Island on Tuesday afternoon.
Rescue teams managed to pull 77 people from the water, according to authorities.
However, the figures remained subject to verification as the operation continued.
The ferry’s captain was among those who died in the disaster.
Rescue teams were still searching the lake when the latest reports were released.
Questions over the number of people on board
Police confirmed that a Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA) boat had capsized.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police said the vessel had 90 people and five crew members aboard.
It was not immediately clear whether the 90 referred to passengers alone or everyone on the boat.
Other reports suggested the vessel could have been carrying 114 adult passengers.
Those reports were reportedly based on the number of tickets sold for the journey.
There were also believed to be children aboard who may not have required tickets.
The conflicting figures have made it difficult to establish the exact number of people involved.
Authorities warned that the death toll and number of missing passengers could change.
Survivors on Long Island
According to H-Metro, Mashonaland West provincial authorities said 77 passengers had been rescued.
The survivors were taken to Long Island after being pulled from the water.
The Civil Protection Unit then mobilised boats to transport them back to the mainland.
Provincial Director of Local Government Services Cecilia Chitiyo confirmed that the operation was continuing.
She said 15 bodies had also been recovered from the lake.
Funeral service providers Nyaradzo and Doves were engaged to collect the bodies.
A Police Sub-Aqua Unit was also brought in to strengthen the search effort.
An African Parks helicopter, Matusadonha rescue teams, boat operators and local residents joined the operation.
Government officials rush to Kariba
RIDA director-general Christopher Shumba and Mashonaland West provincial secretary Josphat Jaji travelled to Kariba to oversee the response.
Minister of State for Mashonaland West Marian Chombo is expected to visit the area to assess the situation and meet affected families.
Chitiyo recommended that the disaster be declared a state of disaster.
Such a declaration could allow authorities to mobilise additional resources for the rescue and recovery operation.
Shumba described the incident as a major tragedy.
“This is a tragedy of major proportion and we have lost several people so far while others are still to be accounted for,” he said.
He said the ferry had sufficient life jackets.
However, he raised concerns that some children may have become separated from their mothers during the chaos.
Search operation resumes
The search was suspended overnight because of poor visibility and lighting challenges.
Authorities are expected to resume the operation this morning.
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