HARARE, Zimbabwe: At least 44 people were killed after an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, with authorities continuing efforts to recover bodies and locate missing passengers.
According to international media reports, the boat was carrying far more people than its designated capacity of 90. Passengers had reportedly urged the captain to turn back after noticing worsening waves, but the boat capsized shortly after departing.
The exact number of people on board remains unclear. At least 114 adult passengers and five crew members were registered, while a surviving crew member said he counted about 153 people on the boat before it departed, including children and crew.
Survivors said the waves became increasingly rough shortly after the boat left shore. Water began entering the vessel from one side about 30 minutes into the journey, eventually causing it to capsize.
A female passenger said some people had raised concerns about the strong waves even before the boat departed. Survivors also said the captain ignored requests to return to shore.
Authorities initially reported 15 deaths and 27 people missing, but the death toll later rose to at least 44 as more bodies were recovered from the lake.
Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit, police, boats and specialist underwater search teams launched a rescue operation following the accident. At least 77 people were initially rescued and taken to a small island in the lake, while search teams continued looking for missing passengers and additional bodies.
Lake Kariba lies on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and was formed following the construction of a dam on the Zambezi River. It is among the world’s largest artificial lakes by volume and serves as an important means of transportation for local communities.
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The lake has previously witnessed deadly boat accidents. In 2014, 26 people, mostly children, were killed in a boat accident on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba.
