Guyanese ferry boat death toll climbs significantly

Guyanese authorities now say that search teams might find up to 83 more bodies following the late Saturday sinking of a ferry boat sailing from the city to a jungle community near Venezuela.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips told journalists in a late Monday night briefing that while 27 bodies had been recovered up to the end of the day, officials believe that up to 83 more passengers are still unaccounted for as hopes for finding anyone alive fade with each passing hour.

And in an astonishing development, the government appears to now be agreeing with surviving passengers who had complained bitterly that the MV Barima was overloaded with passengers and cargo as it sailed on Saturday afternoon from the capital of Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the northwest near Venezuela.

Phillips wiped away earlier official figures that had shown that the boat had had 116 passengers and 17 crew members. He announced that officials now believe that there had been 179 passengers and 18 crew members, supporting suggestions from the 69 passengers who have been rescued so far that the 87-year-old boat was overloaded.

“Eighty-three people are deemed missing and still to be found, based on a review of footage as the boat was loading. I am confident that we have narrowed the figure down to 179,” he said, compared to the official manifest that had shown 116 passengers and 17 crew members.

Now suspecting that loading staff might have illegally loaded additional persons and cargo without manifesting them, Phillips and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said that all staff associated with the management and loading of the Barima had been suspended to allow for a comprehensive probe into what went wrong.

The investigation “aims to guarantee the absolute integrity of the upcoming inquiry and will prevent the likelihood of tampering with or interference in evidence and materials, thereby ensuring a completely fair and unprejudiced outcome,” Edghill said.

As the nation mourns and awaits the discovery of additional bodies, President Irfaan Ali prepares locals for a tough period ahead.

“Brace yourself for the coming days. It is going to be difficult for all of us. It is going to be a difficult period for us as a people and as a country. May God watch over Guyana and bring us through this horrible experience,” he said in a national address.

A number of neighboring countries have sent rescue personnel, including a contingent of divers from French Guiana, spotter planes and boats from Caricom neighbors as officials prepare to switch to a recovery period from one associated with rescue.

Surviving passengers and relatives had also complained about the state of the vessel, dubbing it as rickety. Prime Minister Phillips said it had been dry docked and completely overhauled in 2024 and was due for a repeat maintenance exercise in October.