Guyana Ferry Tragedy: Death Toll Reaches 27, Search Continues for 83 Missing

Guyana: The death toll from the MV Barima ferry disaster has risen to 27, while 83 people remain missing as search-and-rescue operations continue, Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed during a press briefing on Monday, July 20.

Sixty-nine people aboard the MV Barima vessel had been rescued while authorities are facing difficulties to determine the total number of people aboard the vessel since numerous passengers were not listed in the official passenger manifest.

The location of the MV Barima was discovered on Monday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. by a fisherman named Haresh Singh and his team. 

Following the discovery by the fisherman, sonar scanners operated by maritime survey companies VEHSI and Exxon Mobil support vessels confirmed that MV Barima was lying on the seabed. The mission was then transitioned to a dive recovery operation.

According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, Singh’s efforts played a major role in locating the vessel after he had also assisted with the rescue operations after the tragedy.

PM Phillips also said that investigators believe that around 179 people and 18 crew members were aboard the MV Barima when it capsized. 

He said that an investigative team worked overnight and reviewed footage of passengers boarding the vessel in order to assess the total number of people on the vessel. The revised figures were then revealed after the investigation.

As of the latest updates, 69 people have been rescued, 27 bodies have been recovered, and 83 people remain missing.

Meanwhile, among the 27 bodies, at least four are children.

Authorities have confirmed that the body of a 2-year-old Kelly Williams of White Water Village was also recovered during the operation. The toddler is the youngest victim recovered so far. Kelly’s parents remain among those still missing. 

The Prime Minister noted that their focus is on finding people. He said that local search efforts are now being supported by a team from Trinidad and Tobago. The French Government has also deployed 12 divers, two doctors and a mechanic from nearby French Guiana to assist local teams. 

Officials also said that the recovered bodies will be first taken to Charity for processing by health officials and police before being transferred to Suddie Hospital.

The vessel’s captain and at least one other crew member are currently in police custody after testing positive for narcotics. 

PM Phillips also said earlier that an investigation into potential institutional failure has been launched and anyone found guilty of negligence or misconduct will face legal action.

As per reports, the vessel had several major functional and technical issues and was also unsafe to sail.

The vessel’s cargo manifest showed that it was carrying 268 tonnes of cargo, which was below its licensed capacity of 284 tonnes. But investigators are questioning these numbers as well after Public Works Minister Juan Edghill revealed that 35 of the 67 rescued passengers were not found in the official passenger manifest earlier on Sunday, July 19. 

The MV Barima, which was an over 80 year old passenger cargo vessel, built in 1939, left Port Georgetown on Saturday afternoon and was heading to Port Kaituma in Region One. However, the vessel capsized around 3:15 p.m. about seven miles offshore near Iron Punt.

The first distress call was made at around 11:01 p.m. Saturday, July 18, leading to a major search and rescue operation.