Capsized Ferry Off Guyana Coast Leaves 27 Dead, Search Continues for 83 Missing
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — At least 27 people died after a ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said Monday, as the small South American nation mourned the tragedy.
Sixty-nine people aboard the MV Barima have been rescued since the vessel flipped over on Saturday night, Phillips told reporters, adding that 83 more remained missing. “Our focus again is on finding people,” he said. “We still have hope.”
The aging ferry was traveling from the capital Georgetown to Guyana’s inland Essequibo region when it overturned. Phillips said he was now “confident” that 179 people were aboard, following earlier uncertainty about the numbers involved. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill earlier stated that the ship’s passenger manifest listing 133 people on board was inaccurate.
Authorities expanded the search area from 400 to 1,070 square kilometers on Monday, with local fishermen joining recovery efforts. The French army sent 12 divers, two doctors, and a mechanic from nearby French Guiana to aid the operation.
Two crewmembers aboard the ferry tested positive for marijuana after the incident, Phillips said, adding that an investigation was underway. The ship began its journey in mid-afternoon and a distress call was received about eight hours later. The ferry was built in 1939, according to shipping website VesselFinder.
The boat typically travels by sea before reaching a river to arrive at Port Kaituma, located in dense rainforest. Guyana, a small English-speaking country at the northeast corner of South America, is locked in a territorial dispute with neighboring Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region.
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