At least 44 people have died after an overloaded government passenger ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s rnz.co.nz, prompting search and rescue operations that continued on Wednesday. The vessel, operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), sank following a journey that started on Tuesday in rough weather and heavy winds. Local media quoted a survivor as saying that passengers had pleaded with the driver to turn back as conditions worsened, but the warnings were dismissed. According to the state-run Herald newspaper, the captain of the vessel was among the dead.
Death Toll Reaches 44 After Ferry Overturns on Lake Kariba
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the tragedy a national disaster, stating that the accident exposed serious deficiencies in maritime capabilities that must be addressed immediately to prevent recreational and transport waterways from becoming death traps. A specialised aquatic rescue unit was airlifted to the region, and two funeral parlours were engaged to handle the recovery of bodies, according to the civil protection unit (CPU). Divers from the local area and the army, along with bigger boats and a national park helicopter, participated in the emergency response.
Passenger Manifest and Overcrowding Discrepancies
The exact number of people aboard the RIDA ferry at the time of the disaster remained unclear, with estimates reaching as high as 153 individuals. While the vessel had a designated carrying capacity of 90 people, the CPU stated that ticket sales confirmed 114 adult passengers and five crew members were on board. Surviving crew member Anyway Chambati, who was in charge of ticketing, told newsday.com that he had counted 153 people on board, including crew and infants, before the vessel departed. Authorities noted that an unspecified number of children below ticketing age may also have been on the boat.
Witnesses and survivors reported that chaos erupted as water surged into the vessel, flooding the engine room and causing goods, dishes, and beer bottles to spill overboard. Passengers scrambled for life jackets located beneath their seats as waves rocked the boat. A survivor recounted to state media that when passengers begged the driver to abort the trip, the response was that the boat had never sunk anyone and that helpers would not be called. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of Parliament, shared footage taken prior to departure showing individuals on shore expressing concern over whether the aging ferry could survive strong waves.
Rescue Operations and Regional Context
Emergency responders and local authorities coordinated relief efforts across the vast stretch of water. While the national disaster management agency reported that 77 people were rescued and made it to a small island before being retrieved by dispatched boats, the Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed that 67 survivors had been rescued and taken to the Mahombe-kombe Primary School Command Centre for medical attention. Police and civil protection units worked to reconcile conflicting figures as recovery operations progressed.
The incident stands as one of the worst recorded passenger boat disasters on abc.net.au, which forms part of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Created in the late 1950s and early 1960s by damming the Zambezi River, the water body spans more than 200 kilometers in length and up to 40 kilometers in width, serving as the largest man-made lake in the world by volume. The sunken ferry provided a vital transportation link for villagers, traders, and rural communities traveling between remote fishing camps, islands, and the commercial hub of Kariba town.
