The search and rescue operation following the MV Barima ferry tragedy is ongoing tonight, with the Government still clinging to hope even as it has recovered the bodies of 27 persons with another 83 still missing.

The Government now believes there were a total of 179 persons on board the ferry on Saturday night when it sank off the Essequibo Coast.

A total of 69 persons were rescued, but as the rescue clock ticks by, the number of fatalities is likely to be more than 100, making this the worst ferry tragedy in Guyana’s history.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips at a press conference this evening said the searches will continue, as he did not set a timeline for search and rescue to become search and recovery.

“Our focus is on rescuing the passengers and the crew from the boat. That remains our focus”

This afternoon, the location of the sunken vessel was confirmed. It is believed that several bodies may be trapped in the vessel. The area where the vessel was located was first identified by fisherman, Haresh Singh, who has been assisting with the search operations since Sunday morning.

The fisherman alerted the authorities to the area after noticing a number of personal belongings in the area in addition to the discovery of three floating bodies.

“Through the aggressive and coordinated efforts of all the responding agencies and stakeholders, the location of the MV Barima was positively confirmed. The location was initially reported by fisherman Haresh Singh who had also assisted in the rescue operations on the previous day, yesterday, support from local fisherfolk, and the collaborative efforts by ExxonMobil Guyana, utilizing sea and land surveys, a survey vessel, proved invaluable in confirming the vessel’s, the MV Barima’s, exact location. The MV Barima was found rested on the sea bed close to the point of initial distress that was communicated by the Air Traffic Control Tower”, Prime Minister Phillips said.

The French Government has provided support in the form of 15 divers, who have since joined the local team of divers at the site and will assist in the recovery efforts. Additional support is expected overnight from Trinidad and Tobago.

The MV Barima ferry, which was 87 years-old, left Port Georgetown on Saturday afternoon for a 24-hour journey to Port Kaituma in Region One. Survivors reported that hours into the journey, the ferry started to encounter difficulties as water started to rush in.

The Prime Minister said at the time of the incident, the ferry was seaworthy.

Just after 11pm on Saturday night, the Timehri control tower received a distress signal, triggering the initial search and rescue operations. The search and rescue operations continued all day Sunday, resulting in the rescue of 67 persons who were on board the vessel.

Related posts:

More bodies recovered from MV Barima ferry tragedy Search operation widened as hope begins to fade for more survivors from MV Barima ferry tragedy Survivors recall harrowing survival tales in MV Barima ferry tragedy BREAKING: MV Barima sinks off the coast of Region 2 with 133 persons on board; 53 rescued so far