Zimbabwe: 'People Were Screaming' - Survivor Recounts Horror Moments Before Ferry Capsized in Lake Kariba

What the report says

A survivor of the Mbuya Nehanda boat disaster on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe has described the moments before the vessel capsized on Tuesday afternoon. According to AllAfrica’s report, the account came from Anymore Chambati, a Rural Infrastructure and Development Agency (RIDA) security officer whose duties included ticketing and handling fare collections. He said he counted 153 people on board, including crew members, shortly before the emergency unfolded.

Chambati said the situation turned chaotic when water began entering the boat amid rough conditions. He recalled passengers shouting as luggage was thrown into the water and the crew struggled to locate equipment used to pump water out of the vessel. He and another worker, Tinashe Chigonga, survived by climbing onto the overturned boat and waiting there until rescuers reached them.

The report says 66 people were rescued, while the status of others on board could not be independently confirmed at the time of publication. The incident prompted a rescue operation and renewed concern about passenger safety and emergency preparedness on Lake Kariba, a major body of water on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border that is used for transport and fishing. AllAfrica notes the account was based on New Zimbabwe’s coverage and that some details remained unverified.