Kariba MP says sister missing after ferry disaster

Kariba Member of Parliament Shine Gwangwava says his 42-year-old sister, Matilda Musemwa Gwangwava, is among the passengers still missing after the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) ferry capsized on Lake Kariba on Tuesday.

Matilda, a mother of three, was travelling from Kariba town to Mola rural area to visit her parents when the ferry overturned near Long Island.

"She was coming from Kariba town and going to Mola rural. She wanted to visit our parents' rural home," Gwangwava said on Wednesday morning.

The legislator said he last spoke to his sister three days before the disaster.

Matilda was one of 21 children in the Gwangwava family, which has 13 girls and eight boys.

Gwangwava said 13 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday morning, correcting an earlier government figure of 15 as authorities continued efforts to establish the final casualty figures.

Dozens of survivors have been rescued from the water, but the number of missing passengers remained unclear as rescue teams continued searching the area around Long Island.

A Sub-Aqua Unit was airlifted to the scene to assist with the operation. However, strong winds in Kariba were hampering the search.

"Currently there are stronger winds in Kariba and this may affect the search but we hope they will resume once it's settled. It may take longer than expected since the winds determine if it is possible to continue searching," a source in Kariba said.

The disaster has also renewed concerns about transport infrastructure serving communities around Lake Kariba.

Gwangwava said residents travelling between Kariba town and rural communities under Chiefs Mola, Negande, Msampakaruma and Siakobvu had limited transport options and were often forced to rely on boats.

"We are urging our government to rehabilitate our Karoi-Bumi Hills road. By doing so many transport operators will ply the route and passengers will have options," he said.

"Secondly, we need some other alternatives in well serviced boats with some tender boats to rescue people in case of emergency."

According to the Ministry of Local Government, the ferry was carrying 114 adults and five crew members, in addition to an undisclosed number of children.

The passenger numbers reportedly exceeded the vessel's stated capacity of 90 people.

Mashonaland West provincial director Cecilia Chitiyo has recommended that the disaster be declared a State of Disaster.

The vessel, named Mbuya Nehanda, reportedly began operating in 1983.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has meanwhile urged members of the public and media organisations to refrain from publishing casualty figures until authorities have completed the management of the accident scene and verified the numbers.

The search and rescue operation was continuing as families waited for information about relatives who remain unaccounted for.