MV Barima salvage could begin this month – CoI Commissioner

…as BK International awarded contract to recover sunken vessel

Salvage operations to recover the sunken MV Barima could commence before the end of October, nearly three months after the vessel capsized and sank on July 18, killing about 100 persons.
The development was disclosed on Wednesday by forensic naval architect Dr Andrzej Jastrzenowski, a member of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) investigating the maritime tragedy, during the commission’s preliminary public hearing.
BK International has been confirmed as the company that was awarded the contract to salvage the vessel, although the company has not indicated when the operation will begin.
Jastrzenowski said he met with the preferred salvage team on Tuesday to discuss the recovery operation and the preservation of evidence.
“I was made to understand that it is a matter of days that this will be concluded and that the salvage operations will commence possibly this month,” he told the commission.
He said the commission would be kept informed of developments and that commissioners could witness the recovery operation.
The issue of salvage has been significant to the inquiry, particularly as questions were raised about whether investigators could adequately examine the circumstances surrounding the sinking while the vessel remained underwater.
Jastrzenowski, who has more than 30 years of experience in forensic naval architecture, said the passage of several months should not significantly diminish the vessel’s forensic value.

“Regarding the forensic value of salvage, notwithstanding the few months, two, three months that has passed, will be, if I may use quantification, near 100 per cent,” he explained.
He pointed to the vessel’s steel construction and the likelihood that much of its cargo remained inside as factors that could assist investigators.
However, retired Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard, another commissioner, said that the inquiry was not dependent entirely on the successful recovery of the vessel.
“Please do not believe that all of our work is hinged on whether this vessel is retrieved or not. That is not correct,” Pritchard stressed.

Cameras
Meanwhile, surveillance footage from seven cameras at the wharf could help the commission determine how many persons boarded the MV Barima before its final voyage.
The issue arose during questioning about discrepancies in passenger numbers and concerns over whether the vessel’s manifest accurately reflected the persons aboard.
Jastrzenowski said the cameras could provide investigators with detailed evidence.
“From the wharf, there is seven separate cameras at the wharf, which will allow a very detailed examination of the persons that went on board,” he disclosed.
He indicated that the footage was understood to be available or would be made available, but did not say that the commission had already examined it.
The footage could assist investigators in establishing the number of passengers aboard the vessel, the circumstances surrounding their boarding and the events leading up to its departure.
Commission Chairman Godfrey Smith, Senior Counsel and a former Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, declined to say whether the commission had determined if the passenger manifest was complete.
“We are not prepared to comment on incomplete or complete at this time,” he said.
Pritchard said the commission was still building a picture of what occurred.
“The issue is that we are building a picture. So, it is a bit premature to know how that picture will unfold,” he stated.
The commission is also expected to examine the quantity and placement of cargo, loading procedures, vessel stability, the carriage of potentially hazardous materials and the availability of lifesaving equipment.
Two Guyanese companies and a Netherlands-based firm had submitted bids to salvage the MV Barima.
According to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), the companies that submitted bids are Industrial Fabrication Inc, BK International Inc, and KMS BV.
Industrial Fabrication Inc, also known as InFab, was founded in 2003 by Jerry Max Goveia and Dyland Fields, according to its website. The company proposes to salvage the ferry at a cost of $1,895,000,000.
BK International Inc, founded by Brian Tiwarie, operates across several sectors, including sea defence, civil and commercial construction, marine transportation, and aviation. The company proposes to salvage the ferry at a cost of $1,034,000,000.
KMS BV is a registered commercial shipowner and manager based in Vijfhuizen, Netherlands, which is proposing to salvage the MV Barima at a cost of $2,035,100,000.