Rescue operations are continuing at full pace after the passenger-cargo vessel MV Barima capsized off the Caribbean coast of Guyana, leaving at least 27 people dead and around 83 others unaccounted for, Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed in a press briefing Monday evening.
Phillips announced that two additional crew members have been pulled from the water alive, a pair that were not included in an earlier official count of 67 saved passengers and crew. After a thorough review of boarding video footage, authorities have now confirmed that a total of 179 people were on board the vessel when it overturned Saturday night.
The MV Barima departed from Georgetown’s main port Saturday afternoon, bound for the remote port of Port Kaituma in Guyana’s Region 1. The disaster unfolded hours after departure, when the ship suddenly capsized in open water. The sunken vessel’s exact location was only pinpointed recently, thanks to a tip from local fisherman Haresh Singh and the joint support of the local fishing community and the crew of the private vessel Gilligan Island. Specialized French divers have now arrived on site to join local recovery teams in searching the wreckage.
Prime Minister Phillips emphasized that search teams still hold out hope for finding additional survivors, citing marine experts’ assessments that the submerged wreck likely retains trapped air pockets that could sustain human life. “Our entire focus remains on locating people. Every single minute counts,” the prime minister told reporters.
All recovered bodies are transported to the town of Charity for processing by public health and law enforcement authorities, with family members invited to the Suddie Hospital to complete formal identification processes. As of Monday, 10 victims have been publicly identified, including 20-year-old Dwayne Forbes and Shivanna La Cruz Romascindo. The 27th body was recovered Monday afternoon, the same day the wreck’s location was formally confirmed.
The tragedy has already sparked serious questions about regulatory oversight and vessel compliance ahead of the disaster. Officials have confirmed that only 35 of the 67 rescued passengers appeared on the official pre-departure passenger manifest, meaning the vast majority of people on board were never formally registered for the voyage. Questions have also been raised about the accuracy of the ship’s cargo declaration, which listed 268 tons of cargo — just 16 tons under the vessel’s maximum permitted load of 284 tons.
In a further alarming development, both the ship’s captain and chief engineer have been taken into custody after testing positive for narcotics use prior to departure.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali addressed the nation Monday, announcing a full and transparent investigation into the causes of the disaster. “Our immediate priorities are saving any lives that can still be saved, supporting everyone affected by this tragedy, comforting grieving families, and accounting for every person still reported missing,” Ali said. The president has personally visited survivors, family members of the missing, and local hospitals in the affected regions of Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, and has called on all Guyanese to stand together in support of impacted communities. A national period of mourning will be held in the coming days, with additional details to be released at a later date.