Death toll climbs to 84 as search continues after overloaded ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba

Police and disaster-management officials intensified recovery efforts on Lake Kariba after an overloaded ferry overturned in strong waves, adding 12 newly found bodies and lifting the confirmed death toll to 84. The aging boat, permitted to hold 90 passengers, may have been carrying well beyond that limit, with earlier estimates suggesting as many as 153 people were aboard. Rescue crews have so far saved 77 individuals, but search operations remain active to locate those still unaccounted for.

The tragedy claimed 18 children, the youngest only a year old, underscoring the vulnerability of families relying on limited transport. The ferry was traveling from the town of Kariba to remote fishing communities where road infrastructure is poor. Lake Kariba, the world’s largest artificial lake by volume, straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.