Lake Kariba tragedy: At least 44 die as Zimbabwe ferry sinks

At least 44 people have died after a ferry sank on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police have said.

The ferry had a capacity to carry 90 passengers and five crew members but a lake official had reported that 120 people, including 12 children, were on it.

The vessel was hit by a strong wave and overturned, police added. Footage shared online appears to show the overturned hull floating in the water.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster, as search and rescue operations intensify. So far, 77 people have been rescued.

Lake Kariba, which straddles the border with Zambia, is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs, supporting transport and fishing and providing vital hydroelectric power to both countries.

An eyewitness, Maxton Kanhema, told AFP news agency that the boat had travelled in bad weather and may have been hit by a wave, causing its engines to switch off.

"People were in distress... there were bodies in the water and it was a sad situation to witness. Those that could be rescued were rescued," he was quoted as saying.

Mutsa Murombedzi, a local member of parliament, posted a video on X , externalof what she said was the boat at the start of the journey, adding that residents had been travelling across the lake to Kariba town, about five hours away.

"We have very hard questions that require honest answers. The officials must release the correct number of people who were onboard," she wrote.

Reporting from BBC News contributed to this story.