Ramaphosa mourns deadly Lake Kariba tragedy in Zimbabwe

According to a witness who spoke to AFP shortly after the government-operated ferry sank in rough weather, bodies could be seen in the water as rescuers attempted to reach the vessel.

The ferry had a capacity of 90 people, but authorities said it was carrying more than 150 people when it was capsized.

The vessel encountered rough water and large waves, began taking on water, and then overturned.

Seventy-seven people had been rescued, and 15 bodies recovered.

Survivors say some passengers had warned the captain about the dangerous conditions and asked him to turn back.

“As South Africans, we stand in solidarity today with the nation of Zimbabwe as we mourn this extensive loss of life,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

“We wish survivors a speedy recovery, and we pay tribute to the emergency services who are working tirelessly to support and bring closure to affected families and communities.”

Lake Kariba is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world by volume and lies along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) northeast of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

It is one of the worst recorded disasters involving passenger boats on the lake.

Two funeral parlours were engaged to collect the bodies, according to the Civil Protection Unit (CPU), as the search continued for people still unaccounted.

The witness, Maxton Kanhema, told AFP that the boat left in the morning in bad weather and may have been hit by a wave, causing its engines to switch off.

“When we were in the waters, then you could see a distress sign and then boats that were close by responded,” Kanhema, who was on a small boat that attended the scene on Tuesday afternoon, said.

A national park provided a helicopter to assist with the rescue effort, alongside larger boats and divers from the local area and the army, 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,” he said.

A specialised aquatic rescue unit was also airlifted to the area to assist with the search, the CPU said.

It said the 77 people who had been rescued were taken to Long Island in the middle of the lake.

*Additional reporting by AFP

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