By a Correspondent
The death toll from the Lake Kariba ferry disaster has risen to 37 after divers recovered 24 more bodies, including 10 children, from the submerged vessel.
The latest recoveries were made as a specialised Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Sub-Aqua team joined police divers, the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and other rescue personnel in an intensive search operation.
The divers recovered the bodies of 14 adults and 10 children from inside the sunken Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) ferry, Mbuya Nehanda.
The vessel capsized on Tuesday afternoon while travelling from Kariba Urban to Chalala Fishing Camp after encountering rough conditions near Long Island.
The disaster has triggered a major search-and-rescue operation, with emergency teams working in difficult underwater conditions to locate passengers who remain unaccounted for.
Initial information indicated that the ferry had 114 adult ticket holders and five crew members aboard. However, authorities have warned that the actual number of people on board could have been higher because some children were not recorded as ticketed passengers.
Questions have also been raised over the vessel’s passenger capacity and whether it was overloaded at the time of the accident.
At Andorra Harbour, relatives of passengers gathered anxiously as rescue teams continued bringing recovered bodies ashore for identification and handover to funeral service providers.
The recovery of 10 children has deepened the anguish among families waiting for news of their loved ones.
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of safety standards on Lake Kariba, including passenger capacity, vessel inspections and enforcement of maritime regulations.
Authorities have indicated that the search operation will continue as divers and emergency personnel work to locate those still missing.
