President Ali appoints five-member commission to probe Guyana's MV Barima tragedy

Guyana: President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has appointed a five-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate the MV Barima tragedy, which occurred on Saturday, July 18, after the vessel capsized while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One. The Commission will examine the circumstances that led to the disaster and determine whether any failures contributed to the loss of life.

The Commission was announced on Sunday, July 26, under Section 2(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act. Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize has been appointed to chair the Commission.

The other members are:

• Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, an expert in maritime operations and security.
• Captain Hamada Fouda, Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.
• Dr Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland, a naval architect and marine engineer with experience in maritime disaster investigations.
• Attorney Nyree Dawn Alfonso of Trinidad and Tobago, an expert in Admiralty and Maritime Law.

The Commission will examine the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy. This will include the loading of the vessel, boarding of passengers, conditions onboard, and the causes of the capsizing and sinking.

It will also assess whether the vessel complied with maritime laws, regulations, standards and operating procedures. The Commission will examine its seaworthiness, maintenance history and the competence and conduct of the master and crew.

Passenger management will also be reviewed. This includes boarding procedures, the passenger manifest, possible overcrowding, cargo stowage and the availability and use of life-saving equipment. Weather, tides, currents, navigation and communications will also form part of the inquiry.

The Commission will also review the search, rescue and recovery operations. It will also work to determine whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or other failures by an individual, entity or institution has contributed to the disaster.

The inquiry is expected to recommend legislative, regulatory, institutional and operational reforms to strengthen maritime safety and emergency response. President Ali said that the necessary legal instruments are being formalised before the Commission begins its work.

As of the latest update, 73 bodies have been recovered from the MV Barima tragedy and 69 victims have been positively identified by their families. The latest body was recovered from inside the wreck during one of five diving operations carried out during the recovery effort.

Of the 69 identified victims, 63 bodies have been released to their families. The remaining six identified bodies are expected to be transported to their respective communities for burial.

A total of 17 assets, including three aircraft and 14 vessels, are involved in the operation. Aerial surveillance flights and diving operations are also continuing.

The government has said the search and recovery efforts will continue for as long as necessary to account for all persons affected by the tragedy.
The MV Barima, which was travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One, capsized off Guyana's coast on July 18. The vessel was later located on the seabed and the operation was shifted from search rescue to recovery.

The latest government figures indicate that 179 people were believed to have been aboard, while 76 people were rescued. Search teams continue efforts to account for those still missing.