Guyanese authorities raised the confirmed death toll from the capsizing of the state ferry MV Barima to 72 as search teams recovered more bodies and worked to salvage the partly submerged vessel. Seventy-six people had been rescued from an estimated 179 aboard.
The 87-year-old ferry left Georgetown on Saturday for Port Kaituma and began taking on water before capsizing in Atlantic waters off the Essequibo coast. The government estimated that as many as 100 people could have died, a toll that would make the sinking the country's worst recorded maritime disaster. That estimate exceeded the number of deaths confirmed by July 24.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said crews had expanded the search area and would continue trying to locate everyone who had been on the ship. Divers from Guyana and other countries, including Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago, joined attempts to recover bodies and salvage the ferry. Officials hoped an inspection could identify damage relevant to the cause.
The exact passenger count was uncertain. The official manifest listed 116 passengers and 17 crew members, but authorities believed as many as 179 people were aboard. The government maintained that the ferry was within its permitted capacity for passengers and cargo, while survivors told reporters they believed it had been overloaded. The competing accounts had not been resolved.
Police opened a criminal investigation and detained three people: the rescued captain, a crew member whom authorities said tested positive for marijuana, and the marine superintendent responsible for supervising loading. Detention did not establish criminal responsibility, and officials were awaiting the investigation's findings. A commission of inquiry was expected to review those findings but had not yet been created.
Questions also focused on the speed of rescue operations. Some survivors said they spent hours in the water, prompting public criticism. Phillips asked for patience until investigators completed their work.
The MV Barima was uninsured, and the government said it would cover funerals and related costs. The ship had last undergone dry-dock work in 2024 and was scheduled for more repairs in October. Authorities said a new ferry acquired from India was intended to replace it, but a new pier needed at Port Kaituma was not yet complete.
Those facts placed the disaster within broader questions about fleet age, infrastructure, loading and emergency response, but none had yet been established as the cause. The verified position on July 24 was a rising confirmed toll, an incomplete accounting of those aboard, an active multinational recovery and a police inquiry still gathering evidence.
