In 1950 construction commenced on what was hailed as the largest man made dam in existence. The Batonga tribes that lived on the Zambezi River floodplain had to be relocated to make way for the huge expanse of water that rose to become Kariba. The tribesmen warned that Nyaminyami, the river god would destroy the man made abomination and for many years it seemed that Nyaminyami was indeed venting his wrath. In 1958, near-disastrous floods wreaked havoc on the half-built dam wall. Over 16 million litres of water per second deluged the workings, washing away heavy equipment and almost all else. The dam was completed in 1959 and on May the 16th, 1960, Queen Elizabeth II flicked a switch to start Kariba Generators and the world's most ambitious hydroelectric project came to life. The dam wall rises 128 metres above the riverbed. Behind, Lake Kariba stretches back for 290 kilometres, covers 6000 square kilometres, is 42 kilometres across at its widest point and is an average of 42 metres deep. Today the lake boasts an amazing array of wildlife. There is a full spectrum of accommodation available either in the chalets and hotels of Kariba town or in the game reserves dotted around the shores.