Zimbabwe Ferry Capsizes on Lake Kariba, Killing at Least 72 People | Ukraine news

The full scale of the tragedy remains unclear, as officials continue searching the vast reservoir and reconstructing the passenger list.

At least 72 people, including 18 children, were killed when an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. Police said on Saturday that search teams had recovered another 26 bodies.

The ferry overturned on Tuesday amid high waves. The vessel was travelling from the town of Kariba to rural and fishing communities in the country’s northwest. Water transport is particularly important for residents of these areas, as the roads are damaged and public transport options are limited.

How many people were on the ferry

The exact number of passengers on board has not yet been established. Authorities have also not said how many people may still be missing.

• according to various estimates, the ferry may have been carrying up to 153 people;
• the vessel was officially designed to carry 90 passengers;
• rescuers managed to save 77 people.

The number of survivors was reported by Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Agency.

Among the dead were 18 children

Initially, officials were unable to determine how many children had been on board. Passengers who had not yet reached the age at which a ticket is required were not included in the preliminary lists.

Police later released updated figures showing that 18 children were among those killed. At least 16 of them were under the age of 10, while the youngest victim of the tragedy was one year old.

Lake Kariba on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia

Lake Kariba was created after the construction of a dam on the Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It is considered the world’s largest man-made lake by volume.

The body of water stretches for more than 200 kilometres, reaching a width of 40 kilometres in some areas. Lake Kariba is shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the border between the two countries running through the middle of the lake.