The death toll from a devastating ferry disaster in Zimbabwe has risen to 72 after emergency teams recovered 26 more bodies from Lake Kariba.
The ferry capsized on Tuesday, August 11, amid strong winds and rough waves.
Police said the vessel was overloaded, with estimates suggesting as many as 153 people were aboard, despite having an authorised capacity of 90 passengers.
At least 18 children are among the dead, with 16 aged 10 or younger, including a one-year-old.
The ferry's 59-year-old captain also died in the disaster. Authorities have so far confirmed that 77 people were rescued, while the exact number of those still missing remains unclear.
Survivors told reporters that strong winds created rough waves that caused water to flood the vessel shortly after it left Kariba town. Passengers reportedly urged the crew to turn back, but the ferry continued into open water before capsizing.
The disaster has left entire communities in mourning, with some families losing several relatives. One resident told The Herald that almost every homestead in the affected communities had lost a family member, with some losing more than five relatives.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared the incident a national disaster and directed emergency agencies to provide food and other essential supplies to affected communities.
Beyond the loss of life, the disaster has disrupted a crucial transport link between Kariba town and remote rural and fishing communities. The ferry was used to transport people, food and other goods to communities with limited road access and public transport.
Search and recovery operations involving military divers, police officers and local fishermen are continuing as authorities work to recover more bodies and establish the full number of people who were aboard the vessel.
Lake Kariba, which straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world's largest man-made lake by volume. The disaster is among Zimbabwe's deadliest maritime accidents in recent years.