▲ Pallbearers sit at a memorial service for the victims of the passenger boat capsizing accident on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
The death toll from the recent passenger boat capsizing accident on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has risen to 94.
This is the deadliest maritime disaster in Zimbabwe's history, and it is turning out to be a classic man-made disaster caused by overcrowding and a lack of safety equipment.
According to local media outlets such as The Herald and NewZimbabwe, as well as AFP, local police announced that the death toll from the capsizing of the passenger boat "Mbuya Nehanda" on Lake Kariba on the 11th had reached 94 as of the previous day.
Among the dead are 30 children under the age of 10, including an infant just one month old, according to reports.
Police determined that while the passenger boat had a capacity of 90 people, more than 180 people—twice the capacity—were on board at the time of operation.
Immediately following the accident, 77 people were rescued, and seven people remain missing based on reports filed by their families.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe claimed that weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident and that meteorological authorities had issued a warning advising against boat operations, but the captain ignored the recommendation.
Testimonies also emerged that because the boat was heavily loaded with cargo, life jackets were buried beneath the luggage, meaning fewer than 30 people were wearing them.
The vessel is known to have been in service for 41 years, but the government disputed claims that it was old and damaged, stating that the ship had been certified as seaworthy.
The government has launched an official investigation into the cause of the accident.
The international community has expressed condolences to the victims of the accident.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, extended his condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Zimbabwe in a statement that day.
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV also mourned the victims and prayed for the rescue workers the previous day.
Lake Kariba spans the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is the world's largest artificial reservoir by water volume.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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