津巴布韦卡里巴湖上一艘渡轮周二发生翻覆事故，造成重大人员伤亡[1]。官方报告显示至少15人死亡，另有27人失踪[1]。该渡轮超载运行，额定载客容量为90人，但实际载有114名成人乘客、5名船员及数量不明的儿童[1]，其中一名船员声称渡轮上共有153人[1]。
渡轮从卡里巴镇出发，目的地为湖上的岛屿和捕鱼营地[1]。根据乘客证词，船只在离开湖岸约30分钟后开始进水[1]。搜救队已启动搜救行动[1]。卡里巴湖是世界上体积最大的人工湖，长约150英里，跨越津巴布韦与赞比亚边境[1]。
这起事故并非卡里巴湖上的首次悲剧[1]。2014年，赞比亚境内同一湖泊发生翻覆事故，26人溺水身亡，其中24人为儿童[1]。此后津巴布韦一侧也发生过类似事件，2021年有5人溺水身亡，2023年10月又有3人在翻覆事故中失踪[1]。
An overloaded ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 27 people missing.[1] The vessel, which had a capacity of 90 passengers, was carrying 114 adult passengers, 5 crew members, and an unknown number of children.[1] One crew member claimed the ferry held a total of 153 people on board.[1]
The ferry was traveling from Kariba town toward islands and fishing camps when passengers reported the boat began taking on water approximately 30 minutes after leaving the lakeshore.[1] Lake Kariba, situated on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world's largest artificial lake by volume, stretching roughly 150 miles across.[1] Search and rescue operations were undertaken following the incident.[1]
The disaster adds to a troubling history of maritime accidents in the region. In 2014, a ferry capsized on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba, killing 26 people, including 24 children.[1] Zimbabwe's side of the lake has experienced additional incidents, with 5 people drowning in 2021 and 3 people reported missing in a capsizing in October 2023.[1]