Zimbabwe ferry disaster: Death toll climbs to 72 as 26 more bodies recovered

At least 72 people, including 18 children, have died after an overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, police said Saturday, as rescuers recovered 26 more bodies from the disaster.

The ferry overturned in strong waves on Tuesday while travelling from the town of Kariba to rural and fishing communities in northwestern Zimbabwe, where poor roads and limited public transport make water travel an important lifeline.

Authorities have not confirmed how many people were aboard or how many remain missing. Estimates suggest as many as 153 passengers may have been on the aging vessel, well above its stated capacity of 90. Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said 77 people were rescued.

Police initially said the number of children on board was unclear because those below ticketing age were not included in passenger estimates. A later police list showed that 18 children were among the dead, including 16 aged 10 or younger. The youngest victim was just 1 year old.

The ferry was travelling across Lake Kariba, one of the world’s largest man-made lakes by volume. Created by damming the Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the lake stretches for more than 200 kilometres and reaches about 40 kilometres in width in some areas.

Lake Kariba is shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the international border running through its middle.