At least 15 people were killed, and 27 remain missing when an overcrowded ferry on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba capsized, authorities said on Wednesday (August 12, 2026).
How events unfolded
A specialised aquatic rescue unit has been airlifted to the area to aid in the search, the CPU added. It was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and some children despite a capacity of 90 people, a statement from Zimbabwe’s civil protection unit (CPU) said as the search for the missing continued.
“So far, 77 passengers have been rescued by Matusadonha rescue teams and others,” the CPU said, adding that “15 bodies have also been retrieved”, and two funeral parlours have been engaged to collect the bodies for processing.
