Zimbabwe Boat Accident: Vessel Carrying 95 People Capsizes, 15 Feared Dead; Over 20 Missing

Zimbabwe: Very painful news is coming out from Zimbabwe. A boat full of passengers suddenly capsized in Lake Kariba. There is an atmosphere of chaos in the entire area since the accident.

According to the information received, 15 people have lost their lives so far in this accident, while 27 people are still missing. Relief and rescue teams are working day and night to find the missing people.

How did this accident happen?

This accident is said to have happened on Tuesday. The boat was heading from Kariba town towards small islands and fishing grounds located in the middle of the lake. This boat is a great help for the people living there in their daily commute.

It is being told that the weather took a turn shortly after the boat left. Strong waves started rising in the lake. Eyewitnesses say that a big wave directly hit the boat, due to which the boat lost its balance and within no time it overturned. Some people have also said that the engine has failed.

How many people were there in the boat?

There is still confusion regarding how many people were in the boat. Initially the police had said that there were about 90 passengers and 5 crew members in the boat. But later when the ticket records were scrutinised, it was found that 114 adult passengers and 5 staff members were on board.

Officials suspect that there were some children also who were not counted in the tickets, so the actual number could be even higher.

What is the update till now?

As soon as the news of the accident was received, local people, administration and rescue teams reached the spot. It took some time to reach the boat, but after that the rescue was started rapidly.

According to AP report, so far 77 people have been safely evacuated to a nearby island. The condition of those who have been rescued is being monitored.

Who participated in the rescue operation?

Not just one team, but many teams are involved in this difficult operation. Local fishermen's boats, divers, army personnel and even helicopters have been deployed to help. The effort is to find the missing people as soon as possible.

Is overloading also a reason?

Initially bad weather is being considered as the main reason, but now many questions are also being raised. Was the boat overloaded with people? Was the boat already in bad condition? Investigation has been started on all these aspects.

About Lake Kariba

Lake Kariba is on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. It was formed by the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River and is said to be the largest man-made lake in the world. There are many small islands here, so for the people here, boat is a kind of bus.

At present, the administration has started preparations to bring the bodies of the deceased to Kariba so that they can be identified. Those whose loved ones are missing and whose homes are in bad condition have tears in their eyes. Search operation is still going on in a large part of the lake.