[넥스트포스트=황상욱 기자] A ferry has capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, killing 44 people. The vessel, which had a capacity of 90, was carrying more than 100 passengers when it encountered rough waves.

According to Zimbabwe's Civil Protection Unit, the accident occurred on the 11th when a ferry traveling from the town of Kariba toward Chalala was struck by strong waves near Long Island and capsized. The vessel was operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency. Based on registered ticket sales, confirmed passengers numbered 114 adults plus 5 crew members, for a total of 119. The operator said as many as 153 people may have been on board. Authorities noted the actual number could be even higher once children traveling without tickets are accounted for.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a national disaster the day after the accident. As of the 12th, the death toll stood at 44, and the search for missing passengers has been hampered by deteriorating weather. Survivors said passengers had pleaded with the captain to turn back amid the rough waves. The accident occurred on Lake Kariba, which straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, roughly 300 km northeast of Harare.

This route has served as the only means of transport for rural residents traveling to and from the town of Kariba. In an inland region with limited road access, the ferry is an essential link to schools and markets — but observers say safety oversight failed to keep pace. Authorities have not yet explained how the vessel was allowed to operate while carrying more than 1.3 times its registered capacity.

This type of disaster keeps recurring on Africa's inland waterways. In 2014, a ferry capsized on the same Lake Kariba while carrying passengers to a Zambian independence day event, killing 26 people, most of them children. In 2018, the MV Nyerere — rated for 101 passengers — capsized on Lake Victoria in Tanzania while carrying far more, killing 209. In 2024, an overloaded ferry, the Zico, sank in Mozambique, killing more than 100. All three cases pointed to the same underlying issues: aging vessels and poor management of passenger numbers.

Experts say the root cause is the lack of unified safety standards and regular inspection systems for inland water transport. Unlike road transport, boats operating on lakes and rivers often fall under fragmented oversight from country to country, and there is frequently insufficient personnel on the ground to enforce capacity limits. The Zimbabwean government has launched a search operation alongside an investigation into the cause of the accident. The findings are expected to determine whether tighter regulation will follow for inland ferry operations, including on Lake Kariba.

넥스트포스트 황상욱 기자 andrew@nextpost.co.kr