At Least 15 Persons D£ad, 27 M!ssing As Ferry C∆psizes On Zimbabwean Lake
At Least 15 Persons Dead, 27 Missing As Ferry Capsizes On Zimbabwean Lake
The ferry overturned on Tuesday after encountering strong waves, the agency said in a statement.
At least 15 people have died and 27 others remain missing after an overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, according to the country’s Civil Protection Unit.
The ferry overturned on Tuesday after encountering strong waves, the agency said in a statement.
At least 77 people were rescued following the incident.
The boat, which provides transport between the northern town of Kariba and several islands and fishing camps, was carrying more than its capacity of 90 people when it capsized, according to the agency.
While the exact number of passengers and crew members has yet to be established, the agency said registered ticket sales showed that 114 adults were on board, along with five crew members.
It added that an unknown number of children below ticketing age could also have been on the ferry and had not been accounted for.
Zimbabwe’s national police service said rescue operations were under way.
The state broadcaster ZBC released video showing speedboats heading towards what appeared to be an overturned vessel, while a helicopter hovered over the area.
An underwater search-and-rescue team was also deployed on the lake, according to the broadcaster.
A witness, Maxton Kanhema, told AFP that the ferry had departed in bad weather and that a large wave may have struck the vessel, causing its engines to stop.
“When we were in the waters, then you could see a distress sign and then boats that were close by responded,” Kanhema said.
He said the Matusadona National Park provided a helicopter to support the rescue operation, alongside larger boats and divers from the local area and the army.
“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.
“However, due to the bad weather, the responses were a bit late. Getting to the boat took time and unfortunately lives were lost,” Kanhema added.
Lake Kariba lies along Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, more than 300km (186 miles) northeast of the capital, Harare.
It is the world’s largest man-made lake by volume. The lake was created in the late 1950s and early 1960s after a dam was built across the Zambezi River, causing the valley to gradually fill with water.
Lake Kariba is now more than 200km (124 miles) long and reaches up to 40km (25 miles) in width in some areas.
