The death toll from a ferry disaster on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has climbed to 68 after search crews retrieved more bodies on Saturday, according to local police.
The government-operated vessel, run by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), capsized in rough conditions on Tuesday.
Police confirmed the update in a brief statement, advising Zimbabweans and relevant stakeholders that the death toll in the Kariba RIDA boat accident is now 68 following the recovery of 22 bodies on Saturday.
While authorities provided few additional details, the majority of those on board were local villagers and fish traders operating around the lake, which spans the border with Zambia.
Officials reported that the ferry was licensed to hold 90 people, but was carrying 114 adults, five crew members, and an unconfirmed number of children at the time of the voyage. The civil protection unit previously stated that 77 survivors were pulled from the water on Wednesday.
Grieving community members gathered Thursday for a memorial service in the lakeside town of Kariba, located roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Harare, prior to burials taking place. Survivors recalled begging the captain to head back as rough waters began flooding the boat shortly after departure. Local residents noted that accidents of this scale are uncommon on Lake Kariba, which stands as the world’s largest man-made lake by volume.
