Dozens missing after boat capsizes in Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana- With only 67 passengers rescued from a state ferry which capsized here late Saturday, hopes of finding dozens of remaining passengers are beginning to fade and authorities now say they are uncertain how many persons were on the vessels because the official list had clearly been bloated.

Speaking to reporters late Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said investigators are now certain that there were more than 116 passengers and 17 crew members aboard the decades-old MV Barima, as 35 of the 67 rescued so far were not on the official passenger manifest but were nevertheless able to board the ferry.

Signaling that authorities are dealing with a litany of woes, Phillips said that the rescued captain and at least one other crew member had tested positive for marijuana use and remain in police custody pending a criminal investigation.

The Barima capsized off the western Essequibo coast late Saturday while on its way from the capital to Port Kaituma township in northwestern Guyana near Venezuela. Officials say that they have so far found only two dead bodies, but a massive round-the-clock search for others is continuing. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said he is devastated and upset about a string of negative events linked to the worst marine disaster in decades.

“We have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work,” Edghill said as he and Phillips announced the start of a criminal investigation into the tragedy. “And for us to have positive tests from the captain, this is serious. People’s lives are at risk, and those matters will be dealt with.”

He said there appears to be clear acts of corruption linked to the compilation of the passenger’s manifest, as “nobody, for the want of a few extra dollars, can cheat a system and compromise the entire search and rescue operation. To be confronted with a reality that, despite an official manifest given to us, persons who were rescued were not manifested — that is a criminal action,” he said. He suggested that officials are now uncertain as to how many missing persons are being searched for. “We don’t really know the real number right now.”

The vessel, built more than 80 years ago was last dry docked for major repairs in 2024 and was due for a repeat later this year.

And based on social media postings, several passengers are adamant that the vessel might have been overloaded and that water had been seeping into the cargo area as the Barima limped along the northwestern coast on its now ill-fated voyage to Port Kaituma.

The prime minister stated that an urgent and comprehensive probe will be launched into the disaster, concentrating on the accuracy of the manifest, cargo loading, compliance with safety rules and the conduct of the captain and crew before sailing.

“Let me be absolutely clear, where negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law. There will be no exceptions and no tolerance for actions that placed innocent lives at risk,” Phillips said.