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

Authorities detain ferry crew members after drug tests reveal violations in Guyana’s worst marine disaster in decades.

Authorities in Guyana say they have recovered 27 bodies from a ferry that capsized off the country’s coast with 179 people on board.

The MV Barima issued a distress call on Saturday night, having overturned while ferrying passengers from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma in Guyana’s northwest.

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Officials said on Monday that 69 people had been rescued, while 83 remained missing. Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill described the sinking as the country’s worst marine disaster in decades.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips launched an investigation into potential negligence by the ferry’s crew in the lead-up to the accident.

Officials say that while the MV Barima was initially thought to have been carrying 116 passengers and 17 crew members, 32 people rescued from the disaster were not recorded in the ferry’s manifest, putting the number of potential victims much higher.

Police have also announced that the ferry’s captain and at least one other crew member were taken into custody after testing positive for marijuana.

“We have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work. And for us to have positive tests from the captain, this is serious,” Edghill said.

Passengers had complained for years that officials at state-run ferry terminals were selling seats for cash without recording the true number of passengers in their manifest, which Edghill called “a criminal action”.

President Irfaan Ali visited survivors and their families in hospital.

“It was a deeply emotional experience. I listened to their stories, shared in their pain and anxiety, and assured them that every practical measure would be taken to provide the support and assistance they need,” he said.