2nd body found, more passengers feared missing

Waini River boat accident

A second body that had been unaccounted for following a boat explosion some 10 miles off the Waini River mouth in Region One (Barima-Waini) on Sunday last has been recovered.
Reports are that the body of the male passenger was discovered on Wednesday afternoon around 16:00h, but up to press time, his identity had not been confirmed.
According to Region One’s Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, the possibility exists that there might be two other passengers missing following the boat mishap.
He told Guyana Times that the search was still on for those two individuals.
The vessel was transporting both Guyanese and Venezuelans when the incident took place and at this time, it is uncertain as to the nationalities or identities of the two other persons who are feared to be missing, he said.
Additionally, Ashley stated that at this point it was still unclear whether the Venezuelans who were on the boat were entering Guyana illegally.
The Venezuelan boat, which departed the Bolivarian Republic around 04:30h, on Sunday caught afire as it was heading to Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The medical staff at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital had reported on the same day of the incident that 20 persons, including an elderly woman who was first rushed there for treatment, had been accounted for. However, shortly after, news spread that there were missing persons who had initially been on board the boat when the explosion took place. Two persons died following the incident.
Meanwhile, the severely-burnt elderly woman is presently a patient in the Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The 72-year-old Essequiban is said to be in stable condition at present.