Harare (Web Desk): At least 44 people have died after a passenger boat capsized in Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, with rescue teams continuing their search for those still missing.
According to Reuters, authorities recovered another 24 bodies from the lake, taking the confirmed death toll to 44.
Zimbabwean officials said the boat was carrying more passengers than its designated capacity. While the vessel was designed to accommodate 90 people, around 120 passengers were reportedly on board when it was crossing the lake.
Officials said strong winds caused the boat to lose balance before it overturned. Rescue teams managed to save 67 people, while efforts to locate those still missing remain underway.
Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit said ticket records showed that 114 passengers and five crew members were aboard the vessel.
However, authorities believe the actual number could be higher because some children may have been travelling without tickets.
Officials confirmed that the boat had a maximum capacity of 90 people, indicating that it was significantly overcrowded at the time of the accident.
Disaster management authorities have called for the incident to be declared a national emergency.
Survivors were initially taken to Long Island in Lake Kariba and are being transported to safer locations aboard boats operated by the Civil Protection Unit.
Lake Kariba lies along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is considered one of the world’s largest artificial lakes by volume.
It was created following the construction of a dam on the Zambezi River and stretches for around 200 kilometres, with a width of up to 40 kilometres in some areas.