Source: How Many People Were On Board The Mbuya Nehanda Boat When It Capsized? ⋆ Pindula News
No one seems to know how many people were on the RIDA Mbuya Nehanda passenger ferry when it capsized near Long Island on the afternoon of Tuesday, 11 August 2026.
What is now certain is that it was grossly overloaded — and that the confusion over the numbers is making the search for victims harder.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed on Monday that as at 3 PM, the death toll stood at 92 after eight more bodies were recovered from Lake Kariba.
With 77 people rescued alive on the day of the disaster, that means at least 169 people were on board a vessel built to carry 90.
Police have not yet confirmed the exact number who were on board. The search continues for more bodies.
The discrepancies began from the first hour.
On Tuesday afternoon, police initially reported a “DDF boat with 90 people and five crew members” had capsized.
Unconfirmed reports on the ground said it could have been carrying more than 100 passengers.
On Tuesday evening, 77 people were reported to have been rescued. By Wednesday, police said the death toll was 44.
On Saturday, police said 26 more bodies had been recovered, bringing the death toll to 72. That update included the first admission that 18 children were among the dead.
On Sunday afternoon, 84 bodies had been recovered.
On Monday, eight more were pulled from the water, taking the toll to 92.
Between those official counts lie competing estimates of the total on board.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe claimed that the vessel was carrying 119 people — 114 adult passengers and five crew members, and an unconfirmed number of children.
One RIDA security officer told journalists he had confirmed that 153 people, including children, were on board when it capsized.
The reason for the undercount could be that the number of children aboard was unknown because those below ticketing age were not included in passenger estimates.
Without a manifest, neither police nor the divers know how many bodies are still in the lake’s bowels.
At the time of the accident, it was running with only one functioning engine.
Reports suggest that during the morning of 11 August, winds on Lake Kariba shifted from west to south-west and increased in strength, with gusts reaching approximately 29 km/h by 2 pm.
The south-westerly winds produced large waves on the lake, a phenomenon known as the “Binga Wave”.
According to survivor accounts, passengers had raised concerns about the weather before departure, after a strong gust caused luggage to fall from the vessel while still in harbour.
About 30 minutes into the journey, waves began washing over the vessel and water accumulated inside it.
Survivors said they asked the captain to turn around or seek shelter at Long Island, but he refused.
Water subsequently entered the engine compartment and submerged the vessel’s mechanical bilge pump, preventing it from removing incoming water.
The remaining engine stopped, one passenger claimed the captain switched it off, leaving the vessel without propulsion. It then turned broadside to the waves and capsized.
Some passengers struggled to use life jackets or were unable to locate them during the capsizing.
Some survivors remained afloat by holding onto floating objects, while others climbed onto the overturned hull.
The lack of an accurate passenger list has turned the recovery into a blind search.
Divers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police Sub-Aqua Unit and the Zimbabwe National Army Boat Squadron have been working in deep, drifting water.
One diver said they started at a depth of 51 metres in the morning, but by the end of the day the boat was at a depth of 74 metres as it drifted with the wind towards the Zambian side.
Zimbabwe has had to seek permission to access Zambian waters.
Until an accurate count is established, police cannot declare the search over.
Relatives have been urged to report to the Command Centre in Kariba, but many families still do not know if their relatives were on board, because children, in particular, were never recorded.
The disaster is now the deadliest boat accident of its kind in Zimbabwe, surpassing all previous incidents on Lake Kariba.
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