Many feared dead in Guyana ferry disaster
GEORGETOWN: Dozens of people were feared dead after a ferry carrying 133 people capsized off the coast of Guyana late on Saturday, with authorities suggesting
GEORGETOWN: Dozens of people were feared dead after a ferry carrying 133 people capsized off the coast of Guyana late on Saturday, with authorities suggesting an inaccurate passenger list and drug use by the crew might have contributed to the situation.No survivors have been found since Sunday afternoon, when Guyanese authorities announced they had rescued 67 people, including 15 children.The captain and other crew members are now in police custody, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said at a press conference late on Sunday."Search and rescue is still in progress," Edghill said. "So to the families that are out there wondering about their loved ones, we are doing everything that is humanly possible to find them."The MV Barima, which had 116 passengers and 17 crew members, capsized off the North Atlantic coast, approximately 7 miles from shore, while traveling from the capital Georgetown to the village of Port Kaituma, authorities said.Also read | A yo-yo monsoon threatens crops, power gridAir traffic control received a distress call from the ferry around 11 p.m. on Saturday, triggering a search and rescue operation.Edghill said early responses were hampered by the darkness and lack of vessels with scanners that could search for survivors, leaving rescuers reliant on eyesight and sound.Companies in the oil and gas sector have since deployed vessels with scanners and the government has activated divers to enter the ferry to search for bodies, Edghill said.
Authorities have also expanded the search area to 1,040 square km (401 square miles) from 400 square km.Edghill initially insisted on Sunday afternoon that there was no sign of "neglect" on the part of the ferry operator. But on Sunday evening, he said the captain and at least one other crew members had tested positive for marijuana.In addition, a number of people who were rescued were not listed on the ferry's manifest, indicating inaccuracies in the ferry's passenger list and hampering rescue operations because authorities do not know how many people they are searching for.The boat had maintenance in 2024 and was due for dry docking - the process of temporarily taking a ship out of water to inspect and repair problems - later this year, the minister said.The disaster has torn apart families.Also read | Tata’s Westside readies biggest push yetLeon Murray, a passenger on the ferry, told local news outlet Ignite News that about four hours after leaving Georgetown, someone shouted that the boat was sinking.After the boat capsized, Murray managed to swim to the surface where he used a life jacket to keep himself afloat.
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