Salvage Team Moves RIDA Mbuya Nehanda Boat To Calmer Waters For Uprighting

The operation to turn the capsized RIDA Mbuya Nehanda ferry upright on Lake Kariba gathered momentum on Thursday, 20 August, after a team led by Craig Hall towed the vessel to a more sheltered spot within the Musambakaruma Group of Islands.

The calmer waters will allow specialists to begin the delicate process of righting the ferry, which could take up to eight days.

A gantry, described as a floating heavy-duty workshop capable of lifting the vessel, has been brought in to support the operation.

Once upright, the ferry will be towed away for a full technical inspection to establish what caused the accident.

“We have today managed to tow the vessel to another side of Musambakaruma Islands where it is safe, and we can work on the boat without waves and strong winds disturbing us,” said Hall.

“So, what we are going to do is drill holes on the hull to allow water in on one side and push it downwards until it goes past vertical, and then we lift it.

“That will allow us to tow it. It’s a complex process that may take up to eight days.”

The number of people gathered at Kariba District Hospital has fallen sharply in recent days, after most families identified and collected the bodies of their relatives for burial.

As of Thursday, 20 August, 97 bodies had been pulled from the water, with search and recovery operations set to continue on Friday.

More: The Herald

Related:

How did a “50 PAX” ferry end up carrying 174 people to their deaths? RIDA Mbuya Nehanda Boat Was The Only Link Between Urban And Rural Kariba