Police release NAMES, AGES & ADDRESSES of 83 people who died in Lake Kariba ferry accident… 6 bodies can’t be identified

Zimbabwean police have released the names of 39 more people who died when a Rural Infrastructure Development Agency passenger ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, taking the number of positively identified victims to 83.

The latest list includes 21 children, among them a one-month-old baby, a seven-month-old infant and several toddlers. The names were released as the official death toll rose to 93, according to a police update issued at 11:00 on Tuesday. Forty-four victims had been identified in an earlier release on August 14.

Six bodies recovered from the lake remained unidentified in the latest government appeal, leaving families and authorities facing the difficult task of matching the dead with relatives still missing after the disaster. Officials have asked anyone whose relatives or close associates remain unaccounted for to contact the nearest police station or the command centre in Kariba.

The ferry, operated by RIDA, overturned near Long Island on August 11 during a journey that connected communities living along the shoreline with Kariba town. For many residents, the boat is not a tourist service but a vital part of daily life. It carries passengers, food, fishing equipment, household goods and other supplies between remote settlements and the town.

The tragedy unfolded in rough conditions. Survivors said the waves grew dangerous soon after the vessel left the harbour, while bags, dishes and other goods began falling into the water. Passengers reportedly urged the captain to turn back, but the ferry continued into the worsening weather.

“Some of us survived by standing on top of the capsized hull,” Anyway Chambati, one of the two surviving crew members, said. “Before it went down, passengers were screaming at us that the boat was flooding, water was pouring into the engine room and goods were spilling out.”

Another survivor said passengers had raised concerns before the ferry departed. “We argued with him right at the harbor. We told him the waves were too dangerous,” she said. “A bag fell overboard before we had even left, and we pointed it out, but he refused to listen.”

A further account described the final attempt to persuade the captain to return to shore. “About 30 minutes in, we begged again to abort and return, more goods were falling, the wave was getting worse and water was gushing into one side of the boat, but (the captain) just said, ‘My boat has never sunk anyone.’ He even refused to call for help,” the survivor said.

The number of people aboard remains one of the central questions in the investigation. The ferry’s stated capacity was 90, but one surviving crew member said he had counted 153 people, including crew and infants, before the accident. Disaster officials separately said the vessel was carrying at least 114 adult passengers and five crew members. The figures may not have captured children below the ticketing age, making it difficult to establish a final passenger list.

Early investigations have examined possible overloading, navigational error and the failure to heed adverse weather warnings. Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona met boat and ferry operators after the accident and visited the scene. A technical report was expected to be presented to Cabinet as authorities worked to establish what happened before the vessel overturned.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the tragedy a state of disaster, allowing the government to mobilise additional resources for the rescue and recovery operation. Army boats, police divers and other rescue personnel took part in the search, while a privately owned helicopter was also used during the emergency response.

Lake Kariba is one of the world’s largest man-made reservoirs by volume. It stretches for more than 220 kilometres and reaches about 40 kilometres in width in some places, creating difficult conditions for rescue teams searching for people and bodies in open water. The lake lies along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and was formed after the construction of the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River.

The scale of the disaster has also drawn attention to the safety arrangements around lake transport. Questions include how passenger numbers are recorded, how cargo is loaded, whether vessels are inspected regularly, whether life jackets are easily accessible and how weather warnings are communicated to operators and communities. The investigation is also expected to examine when the ferry’s crew first recognised the danger and how long it took for emergency assistance to reach the scene.

The confirmed names show how widely the ferry served communities around the reservoir. The dead came from Kariba, Chief Mola’s area, Siakobvu, Hurungwe, Karoi, Binga and other parts of Zimbabwe. Their ages range from one month to 64 years. The newly identified victims are listed below.

The 39 victims identified in the latest police release

The 44 victims identified earlier

The police have said identification and recovery work is continuing with families and other authorities. The latest appeal is directed at relatives who may still be waiting for news, particularly as six recovered bodies have not yet been identified. Officials have urged families to provide information at the Kariba command centre so that the remaining names can be established.

For communities around the lake, the release of the names marks another stage in a painful search for answers. It confirms the identities of 83 people, but it also leaves six families waiting for recognition of their relatives and leaves investigators with the wider task of explaining why a regular crossing became a disaster of such magnitude.

The questions now extend beyond the recovery operation. Authorities must establish the final number of passengers, determine how the ferry was loaded, examine the weather and navigation decisions made before departure, and assess whether emergency equipment and warnings were adequate. The technical investigation will be expected to provide the account needed by families, survivors and communities that continue to depend on Lake Kariba for transport.