Lake Kariba Ferry Death Toll Reaches 80 as Pope Leo Mourns Victims

3 articles · Updated · Vatican News - English · Aug 18

Eight more bodies recovered on Monday pushed the confirmed Lake Kariba ferry death toll to 80, including 18 children, after the vessel capsized on 11 August.
Zimbabwe police and press reports said the ferry appears to have been overloaded and was crossing in strong winds from Kariba Town to Chalala fishing camp when it overturned.
Pope Leo, in a telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said he was deeply saddened and offered condolences, prayers for the dead and support for rescuers and grieving families.
Investigators are still examining the disaster, while reports say the ferry had been in service for 41 years on a route vital to rural and fishing communities with poor road links.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a national state of emergency and pledged medical and psychological support, underscoring the scale of one of Zimbabwe's worst transport disasters.