By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@ReutersPhoto.
Twenty-two more bodies have been recovered following a boat accident in a lake in Zimbabwe, taking the death toll to 68, police said on Saturday.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed the updated death toll via social media platform X.
The ferry capsized in strong waves Tuesday, 11 August 2026.
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.
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.
President Cyril Ramaphosa meanwhile has extended his condolences to the Government and people of Zimbabwe.
On behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, Ramaphosa expressed his sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives, as well as to survivors of the tragedy.
His thoughts are also with families awaiting the outcome of ongoing search operations.
“As South Africans, we stand in solidarity today with the nation of Zimbabwe as we mourn this extensive loss of life.”
“We wish survivors a speedy recovery and we pay tribute to the emergency services who are working tirelessly to support and bring closure to affected families and communities, “Ramaphosa said.