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

The ferry had a capacity of 90 passengers and five crew members, but a lake official reported that 120 people, including 12 children, were on board. The vessel capsized after being hit by a strong wave.

Footage shared online appears to show the overturned hull floating in the water. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster, and search and rescue operations are intensifying. 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.

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

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

The Zimbabwe Civil Protection Unit (CPU) said registered ticket sales showed 114 adult passengers were on the vessel, with an unknown number of children below ticketing age possibly also on board.

In its latest update, police said 44 bodies had been retrieved from the lake, up from the initial 15. Local government minister Daniel Garwe said the president had declared a state of disaster to ensure "all necessary resources are mobilised" for search and rescue operations.

This includes an army boat squadron, a police sub-aqua unit, and a privately owned helicopter. The government extended its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk