Disasters & Incidents
Lake Kariba ferry capsizes with 95 aboard, deaths feared
Multiple people were feared dead after a ferry carrying 90 passengers and five crew members capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police and eyewitnesses said.
Police said the ferry capsized in the lake and that more details would be released later. The boat provides transport between the northern town of Kariba and several islands and fishing camps.
Witness Maxton Kanhema said the boat left in bad weather and that a wave may have caused its engines to switch off. He said nearby boats responded after seeing distress signals.
Kanhema said Matusado National Park provided a helicopter to help the rescue effort, alongside bigger boats, local divers and army divers. He said “almost 60” people were said to have been rescued, while bodies of those who died were expected to be taken to Kariba for identification.
Lake Kariba lies on Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia, more than 300 kilometres northeast of Harare.
Update
Police and eyewitnesses said multiple people were feared dead.
Witness Maxton Kanhema said almost 60 people were said to have been rescued.
Kanhema said he saw bodies in the water and that bad weather slowed the response.
A helicopter, bigger boats, local divers and army divers were involved in the rescue effort, according to Kanhema.
Source note: AFP news report published on 11 August 2026 at 23:03:22 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The confirmed number of deaths was not provided.
The exact number of people rescued was not confirmed by police.
The precise cause of the capsize had not been officially established in the supplied information.
Source
AFP news report published on .