At least 53 people have reportedly been rescued after a passenger ferry capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.

The vessel, carrying 90 passengers and five crew members, overturned near Long Island on Tuesday afternoon.

A major search-and-rescue operation is under way, with emergency teams scouring the area for those still unaccounted for.

There are fears of fatalities, but authorities have yet to confirm a death toll.

The circumstances surrounding the accident remain unclear.

–SABC–