Boat sinks in Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba with 95 people on board

Boat sinks in Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba with 95 people on board Police reported that 90 passengers and five crew members were aboard the vessel when it capsized on Tuesday, though investigators suspect the boat may have been overloaded. Alternative estimates, based on registered ticket sales, suggest a higher number of people could have been on board. A witness who spoke to AFP said the vessel had departed in the morning amid poor weather and may have been struck by a sudden gust before overturning. Lake Kariba, which straddles the border with Zambia, ranks among the world’s largest man‑made reservoirs. It supports transport and fishing and supplies vital hydroelectric power to both countries. The Associated Press quoted Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit as stating that registered ticket sales indicated 114 adults were on the vessel. The unit added that an unknown number of children under ticketing age might also have been present. Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, posted a video on X showing what she described as the boat at the start of the journey. She noted that residents regularly use the craft to cross the water to Kariba town, a trip that normally takes about five hours. “We have very serious questions that require honest answers. The officials must release the correct figure of people who were onboard,” Murombedzi wrote. Police said further details, including the figure of those who have died and those rescued, will be released “in due course.”