Lake Kariba disaster: Death toll from Zimbabwe ferry accident rises to 93

The death toll from a ferry disaster on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba has risen to 93, which makes it the country’s deadliest transport disaster, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

The ferry had a capacity to carry 90 passengers, but the paper estimates at least 168 people were actually on board when it was hit by a strong wave and overturned a week ago.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster following the accident and search and recovery efforts are continuing by divers.

The lake, which straddles the border with Zambia, is one of the world’s largest man-made reservoirs, supporting transport and fishing and providing vital hydroelectric power to both countries.

The death toll rose from 44 at the time of the accident to 84 over the weekend, according to police.

Nine more bodies have since been found by divers and a police statement on Tuesday put the death toll at 93, external.

The bodies were now being recovered further away from the scene of the sinking, some of them drifting towards Zambia, the Herald reports.

Provincial Affairs Minister Marian Chombo said 67 people had been rescued after the sinking.

But she added that it was proving difficult to identify some of the recovered bodies – with relatives having to rely on clothes and other items to do so.

“We are running out of time and DNA may now be needed to assist in the identification process,” the minister was quoted by the Herald as saying.

The police said 83 of the victims had so far been identified, 39 of whom were children.

A vital and cheap transport link for rural communities, the ferry was carrying parents taking their children home for the school holidays and traders, the Herald said.

One survivor in her 40s told the AFP news agency that the ferry had been particularly overloaded at the time with goods – and passengers had raised concerns about the rough conditions.

“The life jackets were buried under the luggage, and not more than 30 people managed to get them,” said Itayi Marumisa, a trader from Mola village.

“Children were screaming and most of the passengers were vomiting, but the captain did not seem to care.”

A local councillor representing Mola, Tight Bhusumani, told the Herald it was a difficult time for his community, with children in particular affected.

“We have distressing cases where a child lost both parents and other siblings, leaving them as the only surviving member of the family,” he is quoted as saying.

The councillor, who lost a child in the accident, said other families were still awaiting news of those believed to have been on the ferry.