Key facts
- A passenger ferry carrying 116 people sank off the coast of Guyana.
- 67 people, including 15 children, have been rescued.
- Dozens of passengers remain missing.
- A large-scale search and rescue operation is ongoing.
- Preliminary investigations suggest the sinking was related to tide conditions, not mechanical failure or overload.
A passenger ferry carrying 116 people, including 15 children, sank off the coast of Guyana late Saturday, triggering a massive search and rescue operation. So far, 67 individuals have been rescued, but dozens remain missing.
The MV Barima departed Georgetown for Port Kaituma on Saturday afternoon. A distress call was received late in the evening, leading to an emergency response involving the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and Air Corps, private aircraft, fishing vessels, and civilian volunteers.
Minister of public works Juan Edghill stated that preliminary investigations suggest the vessel was not overloaded and had no mechanical problems, attributing the sinking to tide conditions. The ferry was certified to carry 397 passengers and 284 tonnes of cargo, with its actual cargo load below capacity. It was equipped with lifejackets, lifeboats, and inflatable rafts.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced the expansion of the search area to 1,070 sq km. Survivors recounted harrowing experiences of the ferry overturning in darkness, with some managing to grab lifejackets and drift at sea until rescue.