At least 44 people died after an overcrowded ferry capsized in rough weather on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, police said Wednesday, raising the death toll from the previous day’s disaster.
The government-operated vessel sank Tuesday while carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unknown number of children, according to the civil protection unit (CPU). The ferry was rated to carry 90 people.
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The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) vessel provides transport between the northern town of Kariba and islands and fishing villages across the lake, which lies along Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) northeast of Harare.
The CPU initially reported that 77 people had been rescued and 15 bodies recovered. But the Zimbabwe Republic Police revised the toll upward on Wednesday.
“The ZRP informs the public that the death toll in the Kariba RIDA boat accident is now 44,” the force said on X.
The sinking is among the worst recorded passenger-boat disasters on Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake by volume.
This image shows passengers being rescued after a boat capsized on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, Aug. 11, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Two funeral parlors were assigned to collect the recovered bodies while search teams continued looking for people who remained missing, the CPU said.
Maxton Kanhema, a witness who was aboard a small boat that reached the scene Tuesday afternoon, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the ferry had departed in the morning despite bad weather. He said a wave may have struck the vessel, causing its engines to shut down.
“When we were in the waters, then you could see a distress sign and then boats that were close by responded,” Kanhema said.
A national park supplied a helicopter for the rescue effort, while larger boats, local divers and army personnel also joined the operation, he said.
“People were in distress … there were bodies in the water and it was a sad situation to witness. Those that could be rescued were rescued,” Kanhema said.
The CPU said a specialized aquatic rescue team had been flown to the area to support the search. The 77 people rescued after the accident were taken to Long Island, located in the middle of the lake.
