MV Barima tragedy: Death toll rises to 65, families ID 44 persons, 38 still missing

…efforts ongoing to reposition, move sunken vessel closer to shore for better access

As the search, rescue and recovery operation continued on Wednesday following the capsizing of MV Barima last weekend, the death toll had increased to 65, with efforts ongoing to reposition the sunken vessel in order to gain better access to possibly recover those 30-plus persons still missing.
During his latest update on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips confirmed that five additional bodies were recovered throughout the day.
“The total number of bodies recovered since the commencement of the search and rescue operations now stands at 65, of which 44 have been positively identified by family members,” he indicated.
According to the PM, 23 of those bodies that were positively identified have been released to their families. The Guyana Government has already committed to assisting these grieving families with the transportation of these bodies and covering the funeral expenses.

“The focus now is…recovering bodies and financing the burial and the funeral rites [or] whatever assistance the families need now. That is not deemed compensation.  That is Government’s responsibility in times like these,” PM Phillips contended.
Regional administrations, along with the Ministries of Health and Human Services and Social Security, are working with the families to iron out these arrangements.
Meanwhile, the rescue count remains at 76, with about 38 persons still unaccounted for.

Repositioning of vessel
As such, the search and rescue efforts continue with support from regional partners, including the French Guiana Army, the Brazilian Navy, and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, which have deployed maritime assets and personnel to aid with recovering those missing persons. Their teams will support the diving operations and other specialised recovery activities.
On Wednesday, a total of 19 vessels, both State and private, and three aircraft were engaged in the operation off the Essequibo Coast, where the MV Barima is lying on the seabed about nine miles into the Atlantic. The sunken ferry was first located on Monday by local fishermen, who have been assisting with the operation since Saturday night, and its location was later confirmed by authorities.
According to PM Phillips, the technical teams continue to carry out detailed assessments of the capsized vessel to determine the safest and most effective method of righting it, thereby improving access for the diving teams operating at the site.
“The current recovery plan involves repositioning the vessel before installing maritime salvage airbags, also known as buoyancy balloons, around the wreckage to restore buoyancy. Once afloat, the vessel will be towed closer to the shoreline to facilitate further search and recovery operations,” the PM noted during Wednesday’s briefing.

Troops on the ground
Additionally, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) have also deployed smaller vessels to conduct searches further inland in an effort to locate those passengers still unaccounted for.
In fact, President Dr Irfaan Ali, who remains at Charity on the Essequibo Coast where the bodies are being transported for identification and storage, told anxious family members on Wednesday morning that troops have been ramped up on the ground to comb through the shorelines with the hopes of recovering those missing persons.
“The search also includes two other ground troops from the Guyana Defence Force… Troops on foot [that] would be combing the Shell Beach area and all the other areas along the coastline,” the Guyanese leader assured grieving families.
President Ali added that the chopper will also be deployed again, along with other technology, to maximise continued efforts to recover the missing persons.
“As you know, we are racing against time, and they’re going to be trying everything [with] all the tools, assets are out there,” the Head of State declared.
The MV Barima departed the Georgetown stelling at about 15:00h on Saturday on its scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), carrying 179 persons, including 18 crew members and cargo. According to officials, the vessel encountered rough sea conditions off the Essequibo Coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River late that night.
Survivors have recalled that the ferry began tilting to one side before capsizing, throwing passengers into the water in less than a minute. A distress signal transmitted at approximately 23:01h was received by aviation authorities, triggering a large-scale multi-agency emergency response that still continues.
Addressing concerns raised in the aftermath of the disaster, blood samples were taken from the captain and crew members for testing. Authorities released the results showing positive tests for cannabis and subsequently arrested the captain and two crew members. Another official from the Transport and Harbours Department (THD), which manages ferry services, was also detained as part of the police investigation.
Subsequently, the Government in its initial probe on the issue uncovered that more people were aboard the vessel than had been recorded on the original passenger manifest. That information along with the manifest was immediately made public.
The Government has since announced that an independent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) would be launched to determine the circumstances that led to the sinking of MV Barima. The investigation is expected to examine all relevant factors before any actions are taken.