GEORGETOWN, Guyana – July 24, 2026 – Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips has delivered an updated briefing on the ongoing search and recovery operations following the capsizing of the passenger vessel MV Barima off the country’s Essequibo Coast, confirming that 73 bodies have been recovered as of Friday evening.
Of the 73 recovered remains, 69 have received formal positive identification, Phillips told reporters. Based on the government’s current working count of 179 total passengers and crew on board the vessel at the time of the incident, 30 people remain unaccounted for nearly a week after the disaster.
To accelerate the search for missing persons, authorities have expanded the operational search area by an additional 32 square miles, stretching from the western town of Waini eastward to Adventure along the Essequibo Coast. Phillips confirmed that multiple response vessels are currently on standby to roll the capsized MV Barima back to an upright position, a step that recovery teams believe will allow them to access more trapped remains inside the ship’s hull.
“These operations will continue for as long as necessary to ensure that every possible effort is made to account for those affected, with utmost care, dignity, and respect,” Phillips said, emphasizing the government’s commitment to leaving no family without closure.
As of the latest update, 63 recovered bodies have already been released to next of kin, while an additional six remains have been transferred to their home communities for burial. Twenty-two funerals have already been held for victims of the incident.
A total of three aircraft and 14 marine vessels are currently deployed to support the large-scale search and recovery mission, according to the Prime Minister. When pressed for clarity on how many recovered victims and survivors match the official published manifest of 116 passengers and 16 crew, Phillips declined to provide an immediate breakdown.
Questions over passenger overloading have emerged in the wake of the disaster, after initial reports cited a maximum passenger capacity of 150 people. Responding to these claims, Maritime Administration (MARAD) Director-General Stephen Thomas clarified that the MV Barima was officially certified to carry up to 394 passengers and 120 tonnes of cargo.
Phillips also addressed widespread unconfirmed reports that the vessel’s captain issued an urgent Mayday distress call and instructed passengers to don life jackets before the ship capsized. “We have no such record” of this communication taking place, the Prime Minister stated.
All details surrounding the cause and sequence of the incident will be investigated by an independent commission of inquiry, Phillips confirmed. A final decision on whether opposition parties will be invited to participate in the inquiry process rests with President Irfaan Ali and the national cabinet.