Zimbabwe Ferry Toll Hits 72; 18 Children Dead
Zimbabwe Ferry Toll Hits 72; 18 Children Dead
The News
At least 72 people are dead, 18 of them children, after an overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police said Saturday as recovery crews pulled dozens more bodies from the water.
The vessel was carrying an estimated 153 passengers. Its legal capacity was 90.
Seventy-seven people were rescued shortly after the boat went over. Sixteen of the children who died were 10 or younger, and the youngest confirmed victim was one year old.
Timeline
The ferry, loaded well past its limit, capsizes on Lake Kariba. Rescuers pull 77 survivors out of the water in the hours that follow.
Divers, military personnel and local fishermen work the lake as the body count climbs. Zimbabwe declares a national disaster and sends welfare agencies to affected households.
Police announce another round of recoveries. The Guardian reported 22 more bodies found and a toll of 68; Al Jazeera reported 23 more and a toll of 69; Sky News reported 26 more, putting the total at at least 72. CNN reported Saturday that more than 70 were dead, including 18 children. The differing figures reflect recoveries still coming in as each outlet published.
Reactions
Police confirmed the toll and the child deaths in statements Saturday, and said an investigation is underway into how the boat came to be loaded past capacity and why it set out in high winds.
Zimbabwe's government declared the capsizing a national disaster and deployed welfare agencies to households that lost family members.
What's Next
Recovery operations on Lake Kariba are continuing, with divers, the military and fishermen still searching. The number of people still missing has not been officially confirmed, and the toll may rise again.
The police investigation into the overloading and the decision to sail in high winds is ongoing. No charges against the captain or the operator have been reported.
More
The ferry was the main link between remote fishing communities and the food markets along the lake. Roads in the area are damaged and public transportation is scarce, and shops that depended on the vessel are already reporting supply shortages.
Reporting: CNN, Sky News, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Al Jazeera.
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