At least 44 people have died after an overcrowded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, the Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed on Wednesday.
The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency vessel sank in rough weather on Tuesday while carrying 114 adults, five crew members and an unknown number of children.
The boat had a capacity of 90 passengers, according to the Civil Protection Unit. Initially, 77 people were rescued and 15 bodies recovered, but the death toll has since risen to 44.
Rescue teams, including divers, army personnel, larger boats and a helicopter, are continuing the search for those still missing.
The 77 survivors were taken to Long Island, while two funeral homes have been contracted to collect recovered bodies.
Lake Kariba, which lies along the Zimbabwe-Zambia border, is one of the world’s largest man-made lakes by volume. The accident is one of the deadliest passenger boat disasters recorded on the lake.
