Maritime Tragedy in Guyana: 27 Dead and 83 Missing After Ferry MV Barima Sinks

The death toll from the sinking of the ferry MV Barima off the northwestern coast of Guyana remains extremely high. So far, official sources have verified 27 fatalities, while 83 other people are still missing.

During a media appearance, Prime Minister of Guyana Mark Phillips announced that at this stage of the search and rescue missions, 69 individuals have been pulled out alive, while teams are continuing uninterrupted efforts to locate the missing. “At this stage of the operations, we have 69 survivors. A total of 27 bodies have been recovered and 83 people are still considered missing,” he specified.

According to explanations given by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, the vessel capsized after being struck by a powerful wave. The craft had departed on Saturday evening from the capital, Georgetown, bound for Port Kaituma in the northwestern part of the country.

One of the most harrowing accounts comes from 18-year-old Wayne Kitson. He recounted that the vast majority of passengers were sleeping at the moment the ferry rolled over. The young man managed to escape death by swimming for about six hours straight before being found by emergency teams. However, his wife and his minor daughter are still on the list of people who have not been found.

Authorities emphasize that the ferry, built in 1939, had a capacity for 300 people and was not carrying more passengers than allowed. On board were 116 travelers and 17 crew members. The vessel had undergone a maintenance process during 2024 and had been equipped with new engines. Around 11:00 p.m. local time, moments before the catastrophe, a distress call was issued from the ferry while it was in open waters.

“We still hope that we will find everyone,” declared Minister Edghill, as rescue operations continue and the families of the missing wait with great anxiety for any news about their loved ones.

The sinking of the MV Barima is being described as one of the worst maritime disasters to hit Guyana in recent years, a South American nation with approximately one million inhabitants.