With 73 bodies recovered and another 30 missing following the deadly sinking of the MV Barima, newly obtained internal records are raising fresh questions about the vessel’s condition in the months before the disaster.
A series of handwritten maintenance and defect reports obtained by Kiskadee Watch appear to show that mechanical and electrical problems aboard the vessel were repeatedly documented between November 2025 and March 2026, months before the MV Barima sank.
The records identify concerns ranging from an out-of-service generator and leaking engine exhaust to overheating machinery, defective cooling equipment, deteriorated batteries and other repair requirements.
Several of the reports specifically called for the issues to be treated as urgent.
The documents are significant because they appear to establish that concerns about the vessel’s machinery and electrical systems were being formally raised well before the July 18 disaster.
One of the most significant reports is dated November 30, 2025, and concerns the vessel’s Number One generator.
The report describes the generator as “out of service”, reportedly because its water pump was not functioning and needed to be repaired or replaced.
The matter was specifically flagged as urgent, with a notation directing that the outstanding generator defect be addressed.
Another report dated November 30 raised concerns about the vessel’s port main-engine heat exchanger or cooler, which was reportedly operating at high temperatures.
The handwritten record documents temperatures of approximately 197 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit and calls for the issue to be treated urgently.
A separate report from the same date concerns the starboard main-engine exhaust.
According to the document, exhaust gases were leaking into the engine room while the engine was operating.
The report requested welders to address the leak, while a handwritten response from the Shore Chief Engineer also called for the defect to be attended to urgently.
The records also document an electrical incident aboard the vessel while it was alongside the Port Kaituma landing on November 28, 2025.
According to that report, the vessel’s lights went out.
Checks reportedly found that a connecting wire inside the changeover panel between the shore current and generator had burnt out. A connector was also described as being completely burnt, making reconnection impossible.
The November reports were not isolated.
Additional handwritten records covering the period through March 2026 identify further mechanical, electrical and equipment-related concerns, including problems involving cooling systems, batteries and other components.
Taken together, the records appear to show a pattern of repeated defect reports and requests for repairs or replacement equipment in the months before the vessel’s final voyage.
However, the documents obtained by Kiskadee Watch do not, on their own, establish whether every defect was subsequently repaired, whether replacement parts were obtained, or whether any of the reported problems directly contributed to the sinking.
Those questions are now likely to become central to the ongoing scrutiny of the disaster.
The government has said an estimated 179 people were aboard the MV Barima when it sank.
The recovery of 73 bodies and identification of 69 victims has left families and the wider public demanding answers about how the tragedy occurred and whether it could have been prevented.
The newly surfaced maintenance records could add another layer to those questions, particularly surrounding the vessel’s seaworthiness, maintenance history, inspections and the response to previously reported defects.
At the heart of the matter is a critical question:
What happened after these defects were reported, and was the MV Barima ultimately cleared to operate despite the outstanding concerns?
Kiskadee Watch understands that additional information concerning the vessel’s maintenance and operational history is being examined.
More details are expected as the investigation continues.
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