The MV Barima was carrying 116 passengers and 17 crew members when it overturned late on Saturday while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Sixty-seven people, including 15 children, had been rescued by Sunday afternoon, but authorities reported no further survivors as operations continued into Monday.
The confirmed survivors comprised 41 men, 11 women and 15 children. The number of people unaccounted for remained uncertain because investigators found serious discrepancies in the vessel’s passenger manifest.
Officials said only 35 of the 67 rescued people appeared on the official list. The discovery raised the possibility that more passengers had boarded without being recorded, meaning the true number aboard may have exceeded the stated total of 133.
The captain and several crew members were taken into police custody as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the disaster. Authorities said the captain and some crew members tested positive for marijuana, although no final determination had been made about whether drug use contributed to the sinking.
A criminal investigation has been opened into the passenger-list irregularities, the crew’s conduct and possible failures by officials responsible for inspecting and clearing the vessel. The government said negligence or misconduct would be prosecuted where evidence supported charges.
The ferry left Georgetown shortly after 3pm on Saturday and issued a distress call at approximately 11.01pm. It capsized about seven miles from shore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River, an area affected by strong currents, changing tides and difficult nighttime visibility.
Survivors said the ferry encountered rough water before turning on its side. Some passengers escaped through openings in the vessel, while others entered the sea wearing life jackets or holding floating objects. Several survivors spent hours in the water before fishing boats and emergency crews reached them.
The search initially covered about 1,000 square miles, using helicopters, aircraft, coastguard vessels, fishing boats and privately operated ships. Divers were later deployed to inspect the submerged ferry and determine whether passengers had become trapped inside.
Oil and gas companies operating in Guyanese waters provided vessels equipped with underwater scanners and other detection systems. Authorities also appealed to fishing communities and coastal residents to report debris, personal belongings or signs of survivors.
Poor visibility and the limited availability of specialised search vessels complicated the operation during the first hours. Currents may also have carried passengers and wreckage far from the point where the ferry went down, forcing rescue teams to widen the search zone.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips led the government’s emergency response, while Public Works Minister Juan Edghill met families awaiting information about missing relatives. Support centres were established to register names, verify passenger details and provide assistance to survivors.
The government said the vessel was equipped with 250 life jackets, two rigid life rafts and six inflatable rafts. Officials rejected early claims that it had exceeded its authorised passenger or cargo capacity, although the inaccurate manifest has made that assessment more difficult.
Authorities initially indicated that tidal conditions may have played a role, based on accounts from survivors. Investigators are also examining how passengers were registered, whether safety procedures were followed and how quickly emergency equipment was deployed after the ferry began listing.
The MV Barima was built in 1939 and had undergone rehabilitation work completed in 2024. It was scheduled for another inspection later this year. Officials said there had been no previously reported mechanical problem that would have prevented it from sailing.
The vessel served communities in Guyana’s Barima-Waini region, where rivers and coastal routes are essential because many settlements have limited road access. Port Kaituma and surrounding communities depend heavily on ferries for food, fuel, commercial goods and passenger transport.
The route also serves largely Indigenous communities near Guyana’s border with Venezuela. The disaster has therefore disrupted a key transport connection while intensifying scrutiny of the safety of ageing vessels operating between Georgetown and remote settlements.
Families gathered at ports and government facilities as officials worked to reconcile the manifest with names provided by relatives. Some complained that they had received little information during the first hours of the emergency, while others travelled from distant communities to identify survivors.
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