Dozens missing after state ferry MV Barima capsizes off Guyana's Essequibo coast
Only 67 passengers have been rescued, the captain has tested positive for marijuana and officials say the passenger manifest was inaccurate.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana. Hopes of finding dozens of passengers are fading after a state ferry capsized late on Saturday, with only 67 people rescued so far and authorities unsure how many were on board because the official passenger list was clearly inaccurate.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips told reporters late on Sunday that investigators were now certain there had been more than 116 passengers and 17 crew members aboard the decades-old MV Barima. Of the 67 rescued, 35 were not on the official manifest but had nevertheless boarded.
Phillips said the rescued captain and at least one other crew member had tested positive for marijuana and remained in police custody pending a criminal investigation.
The Barima capsized off the western Essequibo coast while sailing from the capital to Port Kaituma in northwestern Guyana, near Venezuela. Officials have so far found two bodies, and a round-the-clock search is continuing.
'This is serious'
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said he was devastated by the worst marine disaster in decades.
"We have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work," he said. "And for us to have positive tests from the captain, this is serious."
Edghill said there appeared to be clear acts of corruption in compiling the manifest. "To be confronted with a reality that, despite an official manifest given to us, persons who were rescued were not manifested, that is a criminal action," he said. "We don't really know the real number right now."
Questions over the vessel
The vessel, built more than 80 years ago, was last dry docked for major repairs in 2024 and was due for another overhaul later this year.
In social media posts, several passengers insisted the ferry may have been overloaded and that water had been seeping into the cargo area during the voyage.
Phillips said an urgent and comprehensive probe would examine the accuracy of the manifest, cargo loading, compliance with safety rules and the conduct of the captain and crew before sailing.
"Where negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law." Prime Minister Mark Phillips
