HARARE: The death toll from a boat accident on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has risen to 68 after authorities recovered 22 more bodies, police said on Saturday.
The boat capsized on August 11 while travelling on Lake Kariba, one of Africa’s largest artificial lakes. Initial investigations indicated that the vessel may have been overloaded when it overturned during strong winds.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed the updated death toll in a statement shared on social media. Rescue and recovery teams have continued searching the lake for victims following the deadly accident.
Authorities said the investigation is focused on the circumstances that caused the boat to capsize, including the reported overloading of the vessel and difficult weather conditions at the time of the incident.
The latest recovery operation has significantly increased the confirmed number of fatalities, making the Lake Kariba accident one of the country’s deadliest recent boating disasters.
Search and recovery efforts are expected to continue as authorities work to determine the full circumstances of the accident and establish whether additional people remain missing.
