Death toll climbs to 80 in Zimbabwe ferry tragedy

The death toll from the August 11 ferry disaster on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba has risen to 80, Zimbabwean police announced in a post on X.

Authorities had previously reported 72 fatalities. Eight more bodies were recovered from the water on August 16.

ZRP update as at 1400 hours today. The Kariba RIDA boat accident death toll is now 80 following the recovery of eight more bodies on 16th August 2026.

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) August 16, 2026

Search-and-rescue operations at the scene of the tragedy are continuing. At the same time, relatives are working to identify the victims.

The total number of people who were aboard the sunken vessel has still not been established, as children traveling with their parents were allowed on board without tickets in addition to adults who had purchased tickets.

By Jeyhun Aghazada