Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday said the wreck of the MV Barima was sinking deeper into the seabed and that divers continued to face extremely poor visibility.
He maintained that questions about overloading, mechanical problems and breaches in the passenger manifest should be determined by the impending Commission of Inquiry (CoI).
At a press conference, Phillips said divers equipped with special lighting were still being forced to feel their way through the murky water. He explained that undercurrents were continually moving and depositing mud around and inside the wreck.
The Prime Minister repeated the government’s timeline released on Monday, saying the MV Barima departed at 3.20 pm and the Timehri Air Traffic Control Centre received its distress signal at 10.43 pm. The Georgetown Lighthouse was informed at 11.01 pm and alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre two minutes later.
The Coast Guard deployed a vessel from its Pomeroon floating base at 11.11 pm, while two other vessels left the Ruimveldt base at 11.40 pm. The first five survivors were recorded as rescued at 2.27 am.
Phillips said the distress signal was received through an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon satellite system. The alert was processed by a station in the United States and then transmitted to the nearest receiving facility.
He explained that the Georgetown Lighthouse did not have the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System equipment required to receive the signal directly and that Timehri functioned as Guyana’s receiving station.
Asked about the approximately 18-minute interval between Timehri receiving the signal and the lighthouse being notified, no clear explanation was provided.
Phillips said the GDF’s floating base in the Pomeroon was its closest asset to the site and that the journey took approximately two and a half to three hours, depending on sea conditions.
On whether the ferry was overloaded, Phillips said the government had acknowledged from the outset that there were discrepancies, including the discovery that some passengers were not recorded on the manifest.
“The fact that we identified one discrepancy means that there may be other discrepancies,” he said.
He declined to make a determination on the vessel’s load and said the CoI would have to pronounce on whether it was overloaded.
Phillips also said the government had not directed the Ministry of Labour to investigate the tragedy as a workplace accident. However, he acknowledged that nothing prevented the ministry from conducting its own investigation into the deaths of crew members.
He said the government could pursue such an investigation if it was considered necessary but pointed to the broader mandate expected to be given to the CoI.
Phillips also acknowledged that established procedures governing the ferry’s manifest had not been followed. He said this represented a breach of Transport and Harbours Department practices and likely a violation of International Maritime Organization requirements, but again said the matter should be determined by the CoI.
Addressing questions about the fate of the wreck, Phillips said the government would be guided by the wishes of the victims’ families in deciding whether the MV Barima should be salvaged or left in place as a memorial site. He noted that several offers had been made to salvage the vessel, while another proposal was to preserve the area as a memorial.
“There are several offers to salvage the vessel… if the family feels that we should go ahead and salvage the vessel, government is likely to honour the wishes of the family,” he said, adding that if relatives instead opted for the area to become a memorial site, “we’ll have to honour their wishes.”
Phillips said diving operations had been suspended because of the hazardous underwater conditions, leaving the government to consider either salvaging the vessel or leaving it in place. He noted that the wreck was believed to still contain the remains of some of those missing, making the families’ views a key consideration. Pressed on whether leaving the vessel on the seabed could compromise evidence for the Commission of Inquiry, Phillips maintained that the inquiry would proceed regardless. “Whether the vessel is salvaged or not, the COI will continue,” he said, adding that the government had “nothing to hide.”
According to Phillips, preparations for the inquiry were being treated as urgent. Work was continuing on its terms of reference, the necessary legal instruments, staffing and venue through the Attorney General’s Chambers.
He could not say how long the inquiry would take, stating that thoroughness was more important than imposing a deadline.
Phillips said the three employees charged in connection with the disaster remained listed as survivors and would receive psychosocial assistance. He added that counselling would remain available to them even while they were in prison.
The Prime Minister also said ferry services to the North West District had not been suspended. The three-year-old MV Ma Lisha from India would continue travelling from Georgetown to Mabaruma, while smaller contracted vessels would transport passengers between Kumaka and Port Kaituma.
He said corrective works at the Port Kaituma wharf were expected to be completed by January 2027 at the earliest. Once completed, the MV Ma Lisha should be able to travel directly to Port Kaituma.
On whether the canteen aboard the MV Barima sold alcohol, Phillips said he assumed that it likely did and that its operator should have been licensed. He did not confirm whether the canteen held the required licence.
Questions about the condition of the ferry’s engines and whether a failure contributed to the sinking were also referred to the CoI. Phillips said surviving crew members could give evidence about any engine problems, while maintenance, servicing and repair records would also be examined.
He urged patience and said the government did not want to provide answers based on assumptions before the inquiry had completed its work.
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