The death toll from a ferry that capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba has risen to 94, according to police reports released on Tuesday. The vessel, which was owned by the government, was traveling from the town of Kariba in northern Zimbabwe to a remote rural community situated on the lake when it encountered strong waves and capsized.
Following a Cabinet meeting, the government released a statement confirming that the ferry was carrying approximately 180 passengers at the time of the incident. This figure is double the capacity reported by police last week, who had initially stated the boat was designed to carry only 90 passengers. While the government statement did not specify the maximum number of people the vessel should have been carrying, it acknowledged that the total number of passengers and the volume of goods on board significantly exceeded its designated carrying capacity.
Search and recovery operations remain ongoing. Officials confirmed that 77 people have been rescued so far. According to the state-controlled newspaper The Herald, this tragedy represents the deadliest transport disaster in the history of the Southern African nation, surpassing a 1991 bus crash that resulted in 89 fatalities. Lake Kariba, which sits on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is recognized as one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the world.
