Zimbabwe ferry disaster toll rises to 94

The ferry had a capacity of 90 passengers, according to authorities, but as well as the 94 bodies, 77 people were rescued after the capsize.

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A pallbearer overlooks coffins during a memorial service held for victims of the capsized Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) passenger ferry at Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba, on August 13, 2026. A government passenger ferry capsized on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, claiming at least 44 lives, authorities said. A witness told AFP that after the ferry sank in rough weather on August 11 bodies could be seen in the water as rescuers tried to reach the vessel, which was entirely overturned. Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP

2026-08-19 19:37:45

The death toll from a ferry disaster in Zimbabwe last week rose to 94 on Tuesday, police said, with the recovery of two more bodies. 

The passenger ferry, a vital transport link for rural communities, capsized in bad weather and rough waters on August 11 on the vast Lake Kariba, which borders Zambia.

The dead include 30 children under 10, one of them a month-old infant, according to police.

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said Tuesday that the sinking was the "result of negligence and human error by the captain of the boat", and launched an investigation.

According to the government, a warning from the weather services had advised against sailing on the day of the accident.

The ferry had a capacity of 90 passengers, according to authorities, but as well as the 94 bodies, 77 people were rescued after the capsize.

Lake Kariba straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is the world's largest man-made lake by volume.

© Agence France-Presse