Boat sinks in Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba with 95 people on board

The Kariba dam seen from one of its ridges, overlooking the reservoir and green landscape in the distance

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption,

Lake Kariba, which sits on Zimbabwe's border with Zambia, is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs

ByBasillioh Rukanga

Published11 minutes ago

Multiple people are feared dead after a boat carrying 95 people sank on Kariba dam in Zimbabwe, with rescue operations under way.

Police said 90 passengers and five crew were onboard the vessel when it capsized on Tuesday, but it may have been overloaded, with other reports pointing to a higher number based on the registered ticket sales.

The vessel, which had left in the morning in bad weather according to a witness who spoke to AFP, may have been hit by a wave and overturned.

Lake Kariba, which straddles the border with Zambia, is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs, supporting transport and fishing and providing vital hydroelectric power to both countries.

The AP news agency quoted Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit as saying that registered ticket sales showed 114 adults were on board the vessel. There could also have been an unknown number of children below ticketing age, it added.

Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, posted a video on X , externalof what she said was the boat at the start of the journey, adding that locals had been using it to travel across the lake to Kariba town, a journey that takes about five hours.

"We have very hard questions that require honest answers. The officials must release the correct number of people who were onboard," she wrote.

Police said more details, including the number of people who have died and those rescued, will be "released in due course".