The tragic capsizing of the MV Barima off the coast of Guyana last weekend has seen its death toll climb to 65, official updates confirmed on Thursday, as multi-national rescue teams join ongoing efforts to refloat the 87-year-old vessel that sank en route from Georgetown to the remote inland village of Port Kaituma, located in Guyana’s Barima-Waini administrative region.
Speaking at an official press briefing, Guyana Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced that five additional bodies had been recovered in 24 hours of search operations, bringing the total number of fatalities recovered since search and rescue work began to 65. Of the recovered remains, 44 have been formally identified by next of kin, and 23 of those identified have already been released to families to proceed with funeral arrangements, Phillips said.
Regional government agencies, alongside the national Ministry of Health and Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, are working around the clock alongside bereaved relatives to streamline the process of releasing remains for funeral rites and burials, the prime minister confirmed. He added that the number of survivors who were rescued from the incident remains unchanged at 76.
Phillips emphasized that the government’s top immediate priority remains twofold: supporting grieving families through this crisis and bringing the search and recovery operation to a complete conclusion. “Our focus right now is not on compensation,” he stated. “We are concentrated on recovering remaining victims, covering all costs for burials and funeral ceremonies, and delivering whatever immediate assistance families require to get through this tragedy.” He clarified that the emergency support being provided to families is not classified as compensation, but rather a core responsibility of the government during a national crisis. Once the recovery operation is wrapped up, the government plans to launch a formal public commission of inquiry into the disaster as quickly as possible, he said. Compensation claims will only be addressed after the commission completes its investigation and submits its findings and policy recommendations.
In a boost to recovery efforts, specialized maritime assets and personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Brazilian Navy have now arrived at the incident site and joined the search, rescue and recovery mission. Phillips noted that these international teams will support deep diving operations and other technical recovery work that local teams are not fully equipped to carry out. In total, 19 vessels and three aircraft are currently deployed to the operation, with smaller craft from the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Coast Guard and Maritime Administration Department searching inland waterways for any remaining passengers who may have been swept away from the main wreck site.
Technical teams are currently conducting detailed structural assessments of the capsized vessel to identify the safest and most efficient strategy to improve access for diving teams working at the site. The current recovery plan calls for repositioning the vessel before deploying large marine salvage airbags around the hull. These buoyancy devices will restore enough buoyancy to refloat the MV Barima, after which the vessel will be towed closer to shore to allow for more thorough search and recovery of any remaining remains.
To honor the lives lost in the disaster, the Guyanese government has declared three days of national mourning, which began Thursday. During the mourning period, all national flags will be flown at half-mast across the country, and Thursday was also designated a national day of prayer. Phillips announced that the public is invited to gather at the Kingston seawall at 6 p.m. local time for a national service of collective prayer and reflection. Additional prayer and reflection services will be held tomorrow in both Port Kaituma, the vessel’s destination, and Mabaruma, the regional capital.
“The government remains fully committed to seeing the recovery effort through, supporting affected families in every way we can, and keeping every available resource deployed until the operation is fully complete,” Phillips said.
As investigations into the cause of the disaster progress, law enforcement authorities have announced that a third person has been taken into custody for questioning. The latest detainee is the senior superintendent who oversaw the loading of cargo and passengers onto the MV Barima before the vessel departed Georgetown. According to Phillips, the superintendent voluntarily attended a questioning session with the Criminal Investigations Department alongside his legal representative, and was subsequently detained for further interrogation. Earlier this week, the vessel’s captain and a senior crew member were arrested after both failed mandatory post-incident drugs tests.
Phillips cautioned that it is too early to confirm whether formal charges will be filed against any of the three detainees, noting that investigators are following standard legal procedure. “Investigators will collect all statements, the Director of Public Prosecutions will complete their technical legal review and submit recommendations,” he explained. “If investigators need additional time to build their case, they will request a 72-hour extension, as is allowed by law. We must follow due process every step of the way, and the public can be assured that we are adhering to all established protocols for police investigations.”
Official records for the voyage list 116 passengers and a 17-member crew, but authorities estimate that as many as 179 passengers and crew were actually on board the vessel when it capsized.