Guyana recovers 27 bodies after ferry disaster as crew comes under scrutiny

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing authorities in Guyana, reported that 27 bodies have been recovered after the MV Barima capsized off the country’s coast while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the northwest. The ferry sent a distress call on Saturday night, and officials said on Monday that 69 people had been rescued while 83 others were still unaccounted for. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill described the incident as Guyana’s worst maritime disaster in decades.

The scale of the tragedy has grown more uncertain because officials now say the vessel carried 179 people, higher than the initial count of 116 passengers and 17 crew. According to the report, 32 rescued people were not listed on the manifest, raising concerns that the official passenger record did not reflect everyone on board.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips has opened an inquiry into possible negligence by the crew before the sinking. Police said the captain and at least one other crew member were detained after testing positive for marijuana. Edghill said authorities have a zero-tolerance policy for crew members using alcohol or drugs while working and also called unrecorded cash seat sales at state-run ferry terminals a criminal act.

President Irfaan Ali visited survivors and relatives of missing passengers in hospital, according to Al Jazeera. The disaster matters not only because of the loss of life and ongoing search for the missing, but also because it has intensified scrutiny of ferry safety, passenger records and oversight in a country where river and coastal transport are important links between communities.