KARIBA, Aug. 17 (NewsDay Live) — The death toll from the Kariba Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (Rida) boat disaster has risen to 92 after eight more bodies were recovered from Lake Kariba, police said Monday.
In an update issued this afternoon, the police said the latest recoveries had pushed the toll to 92 as search teams continued operations on the lake.
“The Kariba Rida boat accident death toll is now 92 after eight bodies were recovered from Lake Kariba,” police said in the statement.
The latest figure comes a day after police reported that the death toll had reached 84 following the recovery of more bodies on Sunday.
Police said the search and recovery operation has been ongoing since Aug. 11, when the police deployed two large boats, two small boats, more than 40 sub-aqua police members and other resources to the disaster zone.
“The police has also assisted the lake captain’s mobility and coordinated with other government agencies and stakeholders to ensure the identification of bodies is swiftly and professionally handled,” the statement said.
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The accident occurred on Aug. 11 when the Rida-operated vessel, commonly identified as the Mbuya Nehanda, capsized near Long Island while travelling from Kariba toward Chalala fishing areas.
The boat was authorised to carry 90 passengers but officials said it was carrying far more people when it overturned in strong waves. Earlier reports put the number of people aboard at as many as 153, including 114 adults, five crew members and an unspecified number of children.
Survivors previously described difficult conditions on the lake, including waves and water entering the vessel, while questions have been raised over overloading and maritime safety.
The disaster has triggered a large-scale search involving police divers, emergency agencies and other stakeholders. The government has declared the tragedy a national disaster and launched assistance measures for affected families.
The government has also announced US$100 in assistance for each person involved in the accident to help families with funeral-related costs, while the Zambezi River Authority donated US$20,000 toward the response, according to earlier updates.
Funeral and body-identification processes have been taking place in Kariba, with authorities urging relatives to liaise with the command centre and local police station for information concerning missing relatives and recovered bodies.
Police on Monday urged relatives to approach the Kariba command centre or the local police station for relevant information on the accident and the identification of recovered bodies.
Search operations remain underway as authorities continue efforts to recover bodies from the lake and account for those still missing.