At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a government-owned boat capsized on Lake Kariba on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. Officials reported the vessel was overloaded when it encountered turbulence while en route to fishing camps along the lake.
The boat, named ’Mbuya Nehanda’ and operated by the District Development Fund (DDF), was transporting more than 100 passengers and cargo from Kariba to Chalala. The vessel capsized on Tuesday afternoon during its journey across the world’s largest man-made lake.
An official report from Cecilia Chitiyo, the provincial administrator for Mashonaland West at the time, confirmed the number of casualties. According to the report, 77 people had been rescued from the water, while search efforts were ongoing for those still unaccounted for.
The report stated the vessel was carrying passengers in excess of its designated capacity. It was primarily transporting DDF workers and their families, many of whom were children returning to their parents at the fishing camps for school holidays.
Rescue operations involving the Zimbabwe National Army, police, and local boat operators commenced shortly after the incident was reported. Survivors were transported to Kariba for medical attention. The search for the missing individuals continued in the waters surrounding the site of the capsizing.
