Zimbabwe police have confirmed that 72 people died after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba on Tuesday. Among the dead are 18 children, with 16 of them aged 10 or younger and the youngest just one year old. Rescue efforts have recovered 26 additional bodies since the initial incident, bringing the toll to 72, according to police statements made on Saturday.
Details of the Capsizing
The ferry went down amid strong waves while transporting passengers from the town of Kariba to remote rural and fishing settlements in the country's northwest. Poor road conditions and limited transport options in that region mean many residents rely heavily on lake crossings for movement.
Officials had initially been unable to confirm how many children were aboard because those below ticketing age were not counted in official passenger tallies. A list later released by authorities showed that 16 of the child victims were aged 10 or below, with the youngest just one year old.
Rescue and Passenger Numbers
Zimbabwe's disaster management agency said 77 people had been rescued alive. However, authorities have not disclosed the total number of passengers on board at the time of the accident, nor confirmed how many people are still unaccounted for. Passenger estimates have placed the figure as high as 153, significantly above the ferry's stated capacity of 90.
According to CNN, eighteen of those killed were children, based on police figures. The boat involved in the disaster was described as ageing.
Lake Kariba and Regional Context
Lake Kariba, which sits on the border shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, ranks as the world's largest human-made lake by volume. It was formed when the Zambezi River was dammed between the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it stretches over 200 kilometres in length, reaching widths of up to 40 kilometres in some areas. The two countries divide the lake between them, with the international boundary running through its centre.
Legit.ng earlier reported that at least 25 people were confirmed dead and 14 others declared missing after a canoe accident in Yobe State. The tragic incident occurred at about 7:48pm on Saturday in Nguru Local Government Area when a canoe carrying passengers capsized mid-journey. Reports indicated that the canoe was conveying 52 passengers from Adiyani town in Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State to Garbi town in Nguru LGA of Yobe State. Sources said the victims were returning from Adiyani town, where they had engaged in fishing, farming and other local business activities, before the vessel overturned.
