Twenty-two more bodies recovered after Zimbabwe boat accident

The number of confirmed fatalities from a devastating boat accident on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba has climbed to 68, following the recovery of 22 additional bodies on Saturday. The ferry, which capsized on Tuesday, is believed to have been overloaded when it went down during heavy winds, according to initial investigations.

Among the deceased are 18 children, marking what is considered the country's deadliest maritime disaster. Most of the passengers were reportedly villagers and fish traders from the surrounding lake communities. Authorities confirmed that the vessel, with an official capacity of 90 people, was carrying 114 adults, five crew members, and an unknown number of children at the time of the incident.

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So far today we have managed to take 22 bodies. We are confident that we will manage to retrieve all the bodies.

Lt Col Joseph Muchechesi, commander of the boat regiment involved in the search, expressed confidence that all bodies would be retrieved. The civil protection unit reported on Wednesday that 77 people had been rescued. Hundreds gathered at the Kariba district hospital to identify their loved ones, with a public memorial service held before burials commenced.

Survivors recounted pleading with the ferry driver to turn back as the boat began taking on water shortly after departure. Chance Siyamavhu, 45, described how a wave pushed the sinking vessel, allowing some to climb on top. He noted that many passengers struggled with lifejackets, unable to use them effectively, contributing to the high death toll. Lake Kariba, the world's largest man-made lake by volume, has seen previous fatal incidents, including one in 2014 on the Zambian side where 26 people drowned and another in 2021 on the Zimbabwean side resulting in five fatalities.

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Thank God that a wave pushed the sinking vessel and we managed to climb on top. When the boat capsized, most of the people scrambled to get the lifejackets but most of them did not even know how to use them. Most people could not make it.