President Ali declares three days of national mourning after MV Barima Ferry tragedy

Guyana: President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday, July 21 declared three days of National Mourning from July 22 to 24 after the death toll from the sinking of the MV Barima rose to 53. The ferry capsized off the country's northwestern coast on Saturday, July 18.

On the same day, Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed that 53 bodies have been recovered so far and 26 of those recovered bodies have been positively identified. 

He said that the French Guiana military and local divers went to the wreckage on the seabed and found a body but could not retrieve it on Tuesday. It is possible that more bodies might be found in the wreckage.

The PM informed that detachments from the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard and the Brazilian Navy are due on Wednesday and would participate in intensive diving operations at the wreckage.

Seventy-six people have reportedly been rescued and search-and-rescue operations are underway for the ones who remain unaccounted for.

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill has described this accident as the country’s worst maritime disaster in Guyana’s modern history.

According to the government, 16 vessels have been deployed to the wreckage area, where French and local divers are conducting operations.

President Irfaan Ali declared three days of National Mourning in honour of the victims of the tragedy. He has proclaimed Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 24, 2026 as the three days of National Mourning.

In the official statement released on Tuesday, July 21, the President has declared Wednesday, July 22, as the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance at the Kingston Seawall, Georgetown.

A Night of Reflection and Prayer will be held in Port of Kaituma on Thursday, July 23 and in Mabaruma on Friday, July 24.

National flags will be flown at half-mast on Government buildings, public institutions and other appropriate locations throughout the country as a mark of respect and remembrance for those who lost their lives.

The vessel was reportedly carrying a total of 179 people when it capsized, even though the passenger manifest only listed 133, said officials.

Authorities have pointed to the incomplete passenger list and potential drug use among crew members as reasons behind the disaster.

The captain of the ferry and one other crew member have been taken into custody after testing positive for narcotics.

Investigations into institutional failures and vessel maintenance are ongoing alongside criminal proceedings regarding crew conduct.