Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa in Chinhoyi
AT least 77 people have been rescued while 15 bodies have been retrieved after a Rural Infrastructure Development Authority (RIDA) passenger ferry capsized near Long Island on Lake Kariba yesterday afternoon, with 27 others still unaccounted for as search and rescue teams combed the lake into the night.
The vessel, formerly under the District Development Fund (DDF) and now run by RIDA, was caught by strong winds locally known as the Binga Wave as it made its crossing, taking on water through the cabin as the crew battled to keep it stable.
Video footage taken at the point of launch shows the boat already labouring in choppy conditions moments before it went under, passengers watching helplessly as the water rose around them.
The disaster unfolded despite a localised weather bulletin for the lake that had pointed largely to calm conditions.
The Mean Sea Level Pressure analysis had placed Lake Kariba under a broad subtropical high-pressure ridge extending from the South African interior into Zimbabwe and Zambia, ordinarily associated with a weak pressure gradient and light winds. That same bulletin, however, had flagged a strengthening South Indian Ocean anticyclone bringing a moderate gradient and light-to-moderate north-easterly to south-easterly airflow, with winds expected to touch Force 1–2 on the Beaufort scale and occasionally Force 3 in the afternoon. Mariners had been cautioned to watch for localised choppy conditions as the afternoon winds picked up over exposed sections of the lake — precisely the window in which the ferry capsized.
Mashonaland West provincial director of Local Government Services Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo confirmed the disaster in an official report to provincial authorities yesterday, giving the first detailed account of the scale of the tragedy and the response under way.
“This report serves to advise you that a DDF, now RIDA boat capsized in Lake Kariba this afternoon of 11 August 2026,” Mrs Chitiyo said.
She said the rescued passengers had been ferried to safety by Matusadonha rescue teams and other responders and were being held on Long Island in the lake while the Civil Protection Unit worked to bring them ashore. “The CPU has mobilised boats to bring them on land and this is currently happening,” she said.
On the fatalities, Mrs Chitiyo said 15 bodies had so far been retrieved from the water, with Nyaradzo and Doves funeral parlours engaged to collect and process the remains. She said the confirmed figures left about 27 people still unaccounted for, cautioning that the number could shift once an undisclosed group of children travelling below ticketing age was factored into the count.
The Police Sub-Aqua Unit has since been airlifted to the scene to reinforce the search and rescue effort, joining the Civil Protection Unit, Matusadonha teams, boat owners, an African Parks helicopter and members of the surrounding community already on the water.
“This is the report to date, but you will be continuously updated as the search and rescue unfolds,” Mrs Chitiyo said.
Government has moved swiftly to respond to the disaster. RIDA director-general Mr Christopher Shumba and Mashonaland West provincial secretary Mr Josphat Jaji were among senior officials who headed to Kariba yesterday to oversee the rescue and recovery operation. Minister Marian Chombo is expected in Kariba this morning to assess the situation on the ground and engage affected families.
In her report, Mrs Chitiyo recommended that the accident be declared a state of disaster, a call that, if adopted, would open the door to additional national resources and coordinated support for survivors and the families of those still missing.
Search and rescue operations were continuing at the time of going to print, with authorities warning that both the death toll and the number of accounted-for survivors remain fluid as verification continues.
Mr Shumba confirmed that the Mbuya Nehanda Ferry captain died in the mishap, with children likely among those that could not be accounted for.
“This is a tragedy of major proportion and we have lost several people so far while others are still to be accounted for,” said Mr Shumba.
“The boat had enough life jackets and we suspect that women with children could have lost their children when disaster struck.”
He said search efforts would be suspended overnight owing to challenges with lighting.
The mission is expected to continue this morning.
