Guyana ferry disaster leaves 27 dead, dozens missing 

Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed on Monday that 69 passengers have been rescued since the MV Barima overturned on Saturday night during a voyage from

GEORGETOWN: A devastating ferry accident off the coast of Guyana has claimed at least 27 lives, while 83 people remain missing as rescue teams race against time to locate survivors.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed on Monday that 69 passengers have been rescued since the MV Barima overturned on Saturday night during a voyage from Georgetown to the inland Essequibo region. He said authorities now believe 179 people were on board, revising earlier estimates after discovering inaccuracies in the passenger manifest.

Phillips stressed that rescue efforts remain focused on finding those still unaccounted for, expressing hope that more survivors could be located despite the rising death toll.

Search operations have been significantly expanded, with the search area increasing from 400 to more than 1,000 square kilometres. Local fishermen have joined emergency teams, while France has dispatched 12 military divers, two doctors and a mechanic from neighbouring French Guiana to assist in the operation.

Officials revealed that the ferry’s passenger list, which initially recorded 133 people, did not accurately reflect the actual number of passengers. Authorities are continuing to verify the identities of those on board.

The government has also launched an investigation into the tragedy after two crew members tested positive for marijuana following the incident.

The MV Barima, built in 1939, issued a distress call about eight hours after departing Georgetown. The vessel serves communities in the remote Essequibo region, where sea and river travel are essential due to the area’s dense rainforest.

The ferry disaster has shocked Guyana, a small English-speaking nation on South America’s northeastern coast that is also engaged in a long-running territorial dispute with neighbouring Venezuela over the resource-rich Essequibo region.