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

BBC World NewsUpdated Aug 12, 2026, 1:55 PM

The vessel is said to have overturned after being hit by strong waves.

At least 44 people have died after a ferry sank on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police have said.

The ferry had a capacity to carry 90 passengers and five crew members but a lake official had reported that 120 people, including 12 children, were on it.

The vessel was hit by a strong wave and overturned, police added. Footage shared online appears to show the overturned hull floating in the water.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster, as search and rescue operations intensify. So far, 77 people have been rescued.

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.

Earlier, Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, posted a video on X , external of what she said was the boat at the start of the journey, adding that residents had been travelling across the lake to Kariba town, about five hours away.

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

The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit (CPU) said that registered ticket sales showed 114 adult passengers were on the vessel. An unknown number of children below ticketing age could also have been onboard, it added.

In its latest update on X , external , police said that 44 bodies had now been retrieved from the lake - up from the initial 15.

Local government minister Daniel Garwe said the president had declared a state of disaster to ensure "all necessary resources are mobilised" for search and rescue operations.

This included an army boat squadron, a police sub-aqua unit and a privately owned helicopter, he said.

"The government extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident," Garwe added in a statement.