GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jul 20, CMC -A third body has been recovered as the search and rescue operations resumed on Monday with President Irfaan Ali meeting survivors of the MV Barima tragedy in Port Kaituma, hours after cutting short his visit to Canada.
The bodies of two people had been found on Sunday following the tragedy on Saturday night when the MV Barima with more than 133 people on board capsized after after apparently being hit by a big wave as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country. The authorities said 67 people have so far been rescued.
None of the bodies recovered so far have been identified.
The passenger and cargo ferry capsized approximately seven miles offshore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River on Saturday night while en route from Georgetown to the North West District.
The vessel’s captain and first engineer have been arrested after both tested positive for narcotics.
The search operations continue for at least 70 other people still missing and feared dead with the authorities confirming that a number of individuals who were rescued were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest.
“Accordingly, the government has ordered an urgent and comprehensive investigation involving members of the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Maritime Administration Department, and other technical maritime experts will comprise this team,” Prime Minister Mark Phillips said, adding that the “investigation will examine all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragedy, including the accuracy of the passenger manifest, the loading of passengers and cargo, the compliance with maritime safety regulations, and the conduct of the captain and crew before and during the voyage.
A government statement Monday said that the entire management team responsible for the loading, dispatch, and overall management of the MV Barima has been sent off from duty so as to guarantee the “absolute integrity” of the upcoming inquiry.
“By removing the team from the workplace, the government intends to prevent any potential tampering with or interference in evidence and materials, thereby ensuring a completely fair and unprejudiced outcome.”
The statement said that as part of the investigation, video footage from the Kingston Goods Wharf—the point of departure for the MV Barima—has already been extracted by the Guyana Police Force for a comprehensive review. It said This critical surveillance data is expected to provide vital insights into the sequence of events leading up to the incident.
The government said it has mobilised an extensive humanitarian response to support survivors of the tragedy and their families, providing medical care, psychosocial services, accommodation and transportation as search and rescue operations continue.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud said teams of psychologists, social workers and child protection officers were deployed immediately to Regions One and Two to provide trauma-focused counselling, grief support and emotional care for survivors and anxious family members.
“Our teams remain on the ground speaking with families and survivors, offering comfort, counselling and psychosocial support. We will continue to provide that support for as long as it is needed,” she said.
CMC/gt/ir/2026