At least 15 people have died and 27 remain missing after a passenger boat overturned on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, triggering a major search and rescue operation.
The vessel was struck by a powerful wave and capsized on Tuesday, according to police. Authorities say 77 people have so far been rescued, while 15 bodies have been recovered.
There are conflicting figures over the number of people aboard. Police initially said the boat had capacity for 90 passengers and five crew members but may have been carrying about 120 people, including 12 children.
The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit (CPU), however, said ticket records showed 114 adult passengers had boarded the vessel. Officials said an unknown number of children below the ticketing age may also have been on board.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster, allowing authorities to mobilise additional resources for the rescue operation.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said an army boat squadron, police divers and a privately owned helicopter were assisting with the search for survivors and those still missing.
The disaster has also raised questions over passenger safety and the accuracy of passenger records. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, called for authorities to provide a definitive account of how many people were aboard the vessel.
Lake Kariba, which sits along the Zimbabwe-Zambia border, is one of the world’s largest artificial reservoirs and plays an important role in transportation, fishing and hydroelectric power.
As rescue teams continue searching the lake, families are awaiting news of loved ones still unaccounted for.
