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At least 15 dead and 27 missing after ferry capsizes on crocodile-infested lake

A ferry has capsized on the world's largest man-made lake, with at least 15 people confirmed dead and 27 missing. The vessel sank on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, which is home to large numbers of Nile crocodiles and hippopotamuses.

[At least 15 people died and 27 others are missing]

At least 15 people died and 27 others are missing(Image: Mutsa Murombedzi/X)

At least 15 people have died, with a further 27 still missing, following the sinking of a ferry on the world's largest artificial lake. Zimbabwe's national disaster management agency verified that 77 people were saved after the incident on Lake Kariba on Tuesday, August 11.

Survivors managed to make it to a small island in the lake, with boats dispatched to return them to safety. The vessel had a maximum capacity of 90 passengers.

The Civil Protection Unit confirmed that, based on registered ticket sales, there were 114 adult passengers and five crew members on board, reports the Manchester Evening News.

[The boat had a carrying capacity of 90 people]

The boat had a carrying capacity of 90 people(Image: ZBC News)

An unspecified number of children below the ticketing age may also have been aboard and are currently unaccounted for. Broadcaster ZBC aired footage of speedboats nearing what seemed to be the overturned vessel, with a helicopter visibly hovering overhead.

An underwater search and rescue team has been mobilised. Lake Kariba, which sits on the border between Zimbabwe and neighbouring Zambia, is the world's largest artificial lake by volume.

The lake is inhabited by large populations of Nile crocodiles and hippopotamuses. mLocal MP Mutsa Murombedzi disclosed that rural communities depend on the boat for travel to the town of Kariba, a journey that typically lasts around five hours.

She posted footage allegedly showing individuals on the shore waving goodbye to what appeared to be the ageing ferry before the incident. As per the video, some spectators voiced worries that the ferry might find it difficult to handle the lake's potent waves.

The death toll is expected to rise, local news outlets have claimed.

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