At least 15 people have died after a boat carrying dozens of passengers sank on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, with rescue operations continuing…reports Asian Lite News Desk
At least 15 people have died after a boat carrying dozens of passengers sank on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, with rescue operations continuing, officials said.
Police said 90 passengers and five crew members were onboard the vessel when it capsized on Tuesday. The boat was struck by a strong wave and overturned, according to police.
However, Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit (CPU) said registered ticket sales showed that 114 adults were on board. The CPU added that there could also have been an unknown number of children below the ticketing age.
“So far, 77 passengers have been rescued by Matusadonha rescue teams and others,” the CPU said.
The CPU said 15 bodies had also been recovered and that two funeral parlours had been engaged to collect the bodies for processing.
The BBC reported that the conflicting figures had raised questions over the actual number of people aboard the vessel when it capsized.
The BBC also reported that footage shared online appeared to show the hull of the boat floating in the water after the accident.
Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, posted a video on X showing what she said was the boat at the start of its journey. She said local residents had been using the vessel to travel across the lake to Kariba town, a journey that takes about five hours.
“We have very hard questions that require honest answers. The officials must release the correct number of people who were onboard,” she wrote.
Police said more details would be released “in due course”, according to the BBC.
Lake Kariba straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is one of the world’s largest man-made reservoirs. The lake supports transport and fishing activities and provides vital hydroelectric power to both countries.
The accident has raised concerns over passenger safety and the possibility that the vessel was overloaded. The discrepancy between police figures and ticket records has also prompted calls for authorities to establish the exact number of people who were onboard.
Rescue teams were continuing operations as authorities sought to locate any remaining passengers and determine the full scale of the tragedy, the BBC reported.
