At least 44 people have died after a passenger ferry overturned on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, according to the country’s police service.
The accident occurred on Tuesday when a powerful wave struck the vessel, causing it to capsize.
Images circulating online show the ferry’s upturned hull floating on the reservoir.
Authorities said 77 passengers have so far been brought to safety, while recovery teams continue searching the water for survivors and victims.
The ferry was reportedly designed for 90 passengers and five crew members.
However, officials have provided conflicting figures regarding the number of people aboard when the tragedy occurred.
The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit said ticket records indicated that 114 adults had boarded the vessel.
It warned that additional children who were below the required ticketing age may also have been travelling.
A local legislator, Mutsa Murombedzi, had earlier shared footage of the vessel before departure.
She said residents were using the ferry to travel to Kariba town, a journey that takes roughly five hours.
Murombedzi called on authorities to establish the actual number of passengers who were aboard the boat, amid growing concerns over the conflicting figures.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has since declared the incident a national disaster, allowing additional resources to be deployed to the rescue effort.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said military vessels, police divers and a privately operated helicopter had been deployed to support the operation.
Lake Kariba, located along the Zimbabwe-Zambia border, is among the largest artificial lakes in the world.
It plays an important role in transportation, fishing and electricity generation for both nations.
The government has expressed sympathy to relatives of those who died as emergency teams continue efforts to locate more victims and determine the full circumstances surrounding the sinking.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong