Two full days after the cargo vessel MV Barima capsized roughly 15 kilometers off the coast of the South American nation of Guyana, rescue and government officials are still struggling to pin down the exact number of people who were on board when the incident occurred. So far, rescuers have pulled 67 survivors from the water, but official shipping documents only listed 35 of those people as passengers on the vessel. This major discrepancy has sparked urgent concerns about the reliability of the ship’s passenger manifests and broader maritime safety standards in the region.
The MV Barima capsized Saturday evening while it was traveling to Port Kaituma. At the time of the accident, official manifests stated that 116 passengers and 17 crew members were on the ship. As of the latest update, two people have been confirmed dead in connection with the capsizing. Most of the rescued survivors have now been reunited with their families; only three remain hospitalized for treatment, and medical officials confirm their conditions are listed as stable.
Juan Edghill, Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, which oversees the country’s transportation sector, issued harsh criticism during a press briefing held in the capital Georgetown. “I am outraged,” Edghill told reporters. “We are dealing with serious operational failures here. Consequences and new regulatory measures will follow this incident.”
Two senior members of the vessel’s crew — the captain and the first engineer — have been taken into police custody after both tested positive for narcotics, including cannabis. Edghill called the captain’s decision to operate the vessel while under the influence of drugs “criminal.”
Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips emphasized that the inaccurate passenger list has created major complications for ongoing search and rescue operations. He has announced a full, comprehensive public investigation into the incident that will examine the passenger manifest inaccuracies, the ship’s cargo loading practices, compliance with international and domestic maritime safety rules, and the conduct of the captain and entire crew. “Where negligence or criminal conduct is found, those responsible will face the full weight of the law,” Phillips stated.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, who was on an official visit to Canada when the capsizing occurred, has been in direct contact with emergency response leadership to coordinate the response. Multiple international and regional partners have already offered assistance to support Guyana’s search and rescue operations as the investigation moves forward.