Tragic Ferry Disaster on Lake Kariba Claims at Least 72 Lives, Including 18 Children

Pallbearers stand guard overlooking coffins during a memorial service held for victims of the capsized Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) passenger ferry at Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba, Zimbabwe, on August 13. (Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images)

Harare, Zimbabwe (AP) — Eighteen children were among more than 70 people killed when an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe this week, police announced on Saturday after rescue teams recovered additional bodies.

The vessel overturned amid strong waves on Tuesday. According to police statements, 26 more bodies have been pulled from the water since the incident, raising the confirmed death toll to 72.

The aging ferry was making its journey from the town of Kariba toward rural and fishing communities situated in the country's northwest, a region characterized by damaged roads and a lack of public transportation options. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact total number of individuals aboard or how many remain unaccounted for.

Estimates regarding the passenger count have climbed as high as 153, while official records state the ferry's maximum capacity is 90. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency reported that 77 people were successfully rescued.

Initially, officials noted that the exact number of children on board was difficult to determine because passengers below ticketing age were omitted from standard estimates. However, a subsequently released police roster revealed that 16 of the child victims were 10 years old or younger, with the youngest being merely 1 year old.

Kariba holds the distinction of being the world's largest human-made lake by volume, formed through the damming of the Zambezi River during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Spanning over 200 kilometers (124 miles), the lake reaches widths of up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) in certain areas and serves as a shared body of water between Zimbabwe and Zambia, with their international border cutting directly through the middle.