The death toll from Saturday night’s sinking of the MV Barima has risen to 41 as search and recovery operations continued today, with 16 vessels deployed in the wreckage area and the search zone expanded by a further 400 square miles to Waini Point.
In an update issued by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) said 77 persons had been rescued. The last figure for those rescued was 67 which likely means that 10 others who were originally saved have now been counted. According to the MRCC, the first body recovered today was found at 10:15 am and a total of 14 bodies had been retrieved by 1 pm.
French and local divers continued underwater search and recovery operations at the site where the vessel sank, while relatives were engaged in identifying recovered bodies at the Suddie Hospital.
The MRCC also advised all stakeholders involved in the operation that any bodies recovered during the search and recovery efforts must be immediately handed over to the Guyana Police Force at the established facility at Charity River Dam.
The latest figures indicate that scores of passengers remain unaccounted for following the disaster.
The MV Barima sank with passengers and cargo on board. Initial official reports had placed the number of persons aboard at 133, but that figure was later revised upward after authorities acknowledged that significantly more people had been travelling on the vessel. Prime Minister Mark Phillips subsequently announced that an estimated 177 persons had been on board, prompting renewed questions about overcrowding and compliance with maritime safety regulations. Investigations into the disaster are continuing.
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