Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Ferry Disaster Death Toll Rises to 72
Last week a big passenger boat tipped over on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.
The ferry was carrying many more people than it was allowed to carry.
Rescue workers have found more and more bodies, and now 72 people have died.
Sadly, 18 of the people who died were children, and the youngest was just one year old.
Most of the people on the boat were villagers and fish traders who lived near the lake.
The boat started taking in water soon after it left the shore, and passengers asked the driver to turn back.
When it tipped over, many people grabbed life jackets but did not know how to put them on.
Helpers rescued 77 people.
Hundreds of family members gathered at the hospital in Kariba to find their loved ones.
Search teams are still looking for more bodies, but they say the cold winter water is making the bodies slow to rise to the surface.
The death toll from the Lake Kariba ferry capsizing rose to 72 after authorities recovered 25 bodies on Saturday, with the toll earlier standing at 68.
The overloaded government-run passenger ferry, operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), capsized in strong waves on Tuesday in what is believed to be Zimbabwe's deadliest such disaster.
The boat was authorized to carry 90 people but carried 114 adults, five crew members and an unspecified number of children; a police list confirmed 18 children among the dead, 16 of them aged 10 or younger.
Zimbabwe's disaster management agency said 77 people had been rescued, while estimates put the number aboard as high as 153 and officials have not said how many remain missing.
Hundreds gathered at Kariba's district hospital to identify loved ones, and survivors said the ferry began taking on water soon after departure and many passengers did not know how to use life jackets.
- Who
- Police and military rescuers, including a boat regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Muchechesi; most victims were villagers and fish traders, with 18 children among the dead.
- What
- An overloaded government-run passenger ferry capsized in strong waves, with the death toll rising to 72 as the search for remaining victims continues.
- When
- The ferry capsized on Tuesday; 25 more bodies were recovered on Saturday, 15 August 2026.
- Where
- Lake Kariba, near the town of Kariba, on the Zimbabwe–Zambia border.
- Why
- The boat was overloaded beyond its 90-person capacity, began taking on water soon after departure from Kariba town, and many passengers did not know how to use life jackets.
- Death toll
- 72
- Bodies recovered on Saturday
- 25 (22 initially, then 3 more late on 15 August 2026)
- Vessel capacity
- 90 people
- Passengers on board
- 114 adults, 5 crew members and an unspecified number of children (estimates as high as 153)
- Child fatalities
- 18, including 16 aged 10 or younger; the youngest was 1
- People rescued
- 77
- Operator
- Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA)
- Location
- Lake Kariba, on the Zimbabwe–Zambia border; Kariba is about 280 km (175 miles) northwest of Harare
