Death toll reaches 72 in Zimbabwe ferry disaster: Police
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Overloaded vessel capsizes amid severe weather.
- Search teams recover more bodies.
- Zimbabwe begins identifying newly recovered victims.
The death toll from a passenger boat accident on Lake Kariba has climbed to 72 after rescue workers retrieved additional bodies late Thursday, police officials announced.
The vessel capsized on August 11 while navigating Lake Kariba, a massive reservoir located along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Preliminary investigations indicate that the ferry was severely overloaded when it encountered heavy winds and rough waves, causing it to overturn.
"ZRP update as of 2000 hours tonight. The Kariba RIDA boat accident death toll is now 72 after the recovery of 3 more bodies late on the 15th of August 2026. Meanwhile the identification of the bodies recovered today is in progress," the Zimbabwe Republic Police stated via its official X account.
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— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) August 15, 2026
ZRP update as of 2000 hours tonight. The Kariba RIDA boat accident death toll is now 72 after the recovery of 3 more bodies late on the 15th of August 2026. Meanwhile the identification of the bodies recovered today is in progress.
Specialized search and recovery operations involving joint security forces and local teams remain active in the waters of Lake Kariba to locate any remaining missing persons.
Authorities confirmed that formal identification processes for the bodies recovered late on August 15 are actively being conducted by relevant agencies.
