Rescue workers and local boat operators are actively participating in ongoing search and recovery efforts near the overturned passenger ferry on Lake Kariba, a day after the vessel capsized in Kariba, Zimbabwe, on August 12, 2026. — Reuters
Authorities recovered 22 bodies from Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba on Saturday, increasing the death toll from last week’s ferry disaster to 68, as search operations continue for any remaining victims, according to police reports.
The government-operated passenger ferry, which was overloaded, overturned in turbulent waters on Tuesday—a rare incident on this expansive lake that marks the border with Zambia.
The police confirmed that “the death toll is now 68 following the retrieval of 22 bodies,” describing it as possibly Zimbabwe’s deadliest maritime disaster.
Details about the new victims have not been released, but most passengers on the vessel were villagers and fish traders living in the area surrounding the lake.
Authorities stated that the boat was authorized to carry up to 90 individuals but was reportedly packed with 114 adults, five crew members, and an unspecified number of children.
The civil protection agency reported on Wednesday that about 77 people had been rescued so far.
Masses of people gathered at the district hospital in Kariba on Saturday to identify their loved ones’ remains, as seen in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Zimpapers media, which showed long queues outside the facility.
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Muchechesi, the commander overseeing the search, said, “So far today, we have managed to recover 22 bodies,” adding that efforts were hampered by cold winter waters, which delayed bodies surfacing.
A memorial service was held in Kariba on Thursday, nearly 175 miles northwest of Harare, before burial arrangements commenced.
Survivors recounted pleading with the ferry captain to turn back after the vessel started taking on water shortly after leaving port.
One survivor described feeling helpless as people scrambled to save themselves during the sinking, with his best friend and seven relatives among those who perished.
“Thank God a wave pushed the sinking vessel, and we managed to climb onto it,” Chance Siyamavhu shared at the memorial. “Most people scrambled for life jackets when the boat capsized, but many didn’t know how to use them. Unfortunately, most couldn’t make it.”
Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.