By Advent Shoko
HARARE, Zimbabwe — 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 on Monday.
The latest recovery was confirmed by Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who said the bodies were recovered as search and rescue teams continued working in the lake.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that as at 1500 hours today (August 17), the Kariba Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) boat accident death toll is now 92 after eight bodies were recovered from Lake Kariba,” Nyathi said.
The latest figure makes the disaster one of Zimbabwe’s deadliest water transport tragedies in recent history. Search and recovery operations are continuing, with some families still waiting for information about relatives who remain missing.
Police intensify search for victims
Nyathi said police had deployed significant resources to support the operation since the August 11 disaster.
“Since 11th August 2026, the Commissioner-General of Police has deployed two big boats, two small boats, over 40 police Sub-Aqua members and other resources to co-ordinate the rescue of victims, search and the recovery of bodies from Lake Kariba,” he said.
The operation has involved rescuing survivors, locating missing passengers and recovering bodies from the lake.
Earlier reports said 77 people had been rescued, although the passenger figures remain difficult to reconcile because children below the ticketing age were reportedly not included in some official passenger counts.
Questions over how many people were on board
One crew member previously told authorities that the boat was carrying about 153 people, including luggage, despite being authorised to carry only 45 people, according to information provided to ZiGoats.
However, the numbers have generated confusion.
With 92 confirmed deaths and at least 77 survivors, the combined figure already exceeds 153. This suggests that the 153 figure may have referred to the number of people counted or recorded at the time, while some children may not have been included in the formal ticketing records.
Earlier reporting also put the vessel’s authorised capacity at a higher figure, highlighting the need for authorities to establish the definitive passenger manifest as part of the investigation.
The discrepancy is likely to remain a key issue as investigators work to establish exactly how many people were aboard the vessel when it capsized.
Overloading and rough conditions under scrutiny
The boat capsized on August 11 on Lake Kariba during a journey serving communities around the lake.
Reports indicate that the vessel was heavily overcrowded, while strong winds and rough water conditions were also present at the time of the accident. Reuters previously reported that police believed the boat was overloaded when it capsized.
The circumstances have raised renewed questions about passenger safety, vessel capacity and transport conditions for communities that depend on Lake Kariba for access to remote areas.
While operational failure has not been identified as the immediate cause in the information available to ZiGoats, the investigation will be critical in determining whether overloading, weather conditions, safety procedures or other factors contributed to the disaster.
Families continue to search for answers
For families still waiting for missing relatives, the recovery of more bodies has brought both confirmation and renewed grief.
The search is expected to continue until authorities have accounted for as many passengers as possible.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared the disaster a national tragedy and directed government agencies to provide assistance to affected families. Each family is set to receive transport, caskets food and $100.
Lake Kariba is a crucial transport route for communities living around the vast reservoir, particularly those with limited road access. The disaster has therefore intensified calls for stronger enforcement of passenger limits, improved maritime safety and better emergency response capacity.
As divers and rescue teams continue searching the lake, the biggest unanswered question remains how many people were actually aboard the RIDA vessel.
Until a verified passenger manifest is established, the full scale of the Kariba tragedy may not yet be known.
The death toll stands at 92 as of 3pm on August 17, according to police, with search and recovery operations continuing.
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