Zimbabwe boat accident death toll rises to 44

This UGC image, verified by AFP on Aug. 12, 2026, shows passengers being rescued after a boat capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba following an encounter with strong waves on Aug. 11, 2026. (AFP)
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Updated 12 August 2026
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Zimbabwe boat accident death toll rises to 44

  • Investigations suggested the boat was overloaded
  • The ‌vessel was built to ‌carry 90 passengers

HARARE: At least 44 people died after a passenger ferry capsized in a lake in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police said, roughly trebling ‌an earlier ‌estimate of ‌the ⁠death count after more bodies ⁠were found.
Investigations suggested the boat was overloaded when it went over during heavy winds on Lake ⁠Kariba, officers said ‌on Wednesday.
The ‌vessel was built to ‌carry 90 passengers, but ‌more than 120 people could have been on board as it crossed ‌the lake that borders Zambia, police said in ⁠a ⁠statement.
So far 67 people have been rescued and taken to a primary school for medical attention, the force added.