Police in Zimbabwe have arrested and charged a district official with culpable homicide following the sinking of a government-operated ferry on Lake Kariba that claimed at least 97 lives.
The 49-year-old district coordinator with the state-run Rural Infrastructure Development Agency appeared in court and was remanded in custody, police said on Wednesday.
The ferry capsized in bad weather on August 11 while travelling on Lake Kariba, which straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
More than 150 people were reportedly on board the vessel, despite its authorised capacity of 90 passengers. At least 30 children under the age of 10 were among those who died, while 77 people were rescued.
Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake by volume and serves as a vital transport route between Kariba town and several remote communities.
The arrest of the district official comes amid scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding the disaster, particularly the ferry’s passenger capacity and the decision to operate the vessel in adverse weather conditions.
