HARARE, Aug. 16 -- Three toddlers named in the death toll from Zimbabwe's worst modern ferry disaster were about one year old. Wendy Ndandarika, McDonald Nyasha Gumpo, and Hailly Tauro were among the 18 children killed when the MV Nyaminyami capsized on Lake Kariba last Friday. Sixteen of those children were under ten.

The official death toll stood at 72 on Saturday, recovery operations continuing at the reservoir that straddles the Zimbabwe-Zambia border roughly 300 kilometres northeast of Harare. Seventy-seven people were rescued. At least 77 additional passengers remained unaccounted for; the vessel was carrying 153 people when it went down against an authorised capacity of 90.

Passengers had pleaded with the ferry's operator to turn...