You are currently viewing 22 more bodies recovered in Zimbabwe ferry disaster, bringing toll to 68

22 more bodies recovered in Zimbabwe ferry disaster, bringing toll to 68

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Eighteen children were among the nearly 70 people killed when an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe this week, police said Saturday after rescuers recovered more bodies.The ferry capsized in strong waves Tuesday, and police said 22 more bodies were recovered since then, bringing the death toll to 68.The aging ferry was traveling from the town of Kariba to rural and fishing communities in the country’s northwest, where roads are damaged and public transportation is scarce. Authorities have not said how many people were aboard or how many remain missing.Estimates have put the number of passengers as high as 153, while authorities say the ferry’s capacity is 90. Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency has said 77 people were rescued.Authorities initially said the number of children aboard was unknown because those below ticketing age were not included in passenger estimates. A police list released later showed that 16 of the child victims were 10 or younger, with the youngest just a year old.Lake Kariba is the world’s largest human-made lake by volume, created by damming the Zambezi River in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It stretches more than 125 miles and is up to 25 miles wide in places.Zimbabwe and Zambia share the lake, with their border running through its middle.Mutsaka writes for the Associated Press.

Leave a Reply