Brazilian woman dies in Mazaruni boat explosion

Sep 27, 2014 News

A Brazilian woman became the most recent river fatality after she perished in a boat collision in the

Dead: Gisele Vieria Salis

vicinity of the Mazaruni River yesterday.
Dead is Gisele Vieria Salis, a businesswoman who is said to be stationed at Bartica, Region Seven. Salis was reportedly transporting supplies to a shop, which she operated in an interior location when the boat she was travelling in collided with another vessel and exploded.
The incident is recorded less than 24 hours after Guyana joined the rest of the World in the observance of International Maritime Day. According to a statement from the Maritime Administration Department, (MARAD) the accident occurred at approximately 13:00 hours yesterday while two vessels, an aluminum hull passenger vessel (jet boat) and a wooden passenger/cargo boat were travelling in the vicinity of an area known as “All Boys,” in the Mazaruni River.
“One is an aluminum hull passenger vessel and is propelled by two water jets. The other is a wooden passenger/cargo boat and was being propelled by a 200 horsepower outboard engine. As a result of the collision, a fire ensued and quickly engulfed the wooden vessel, causing a female passenger to be burned extensively, and subsequently perish,” the release from MARAD stated.
Chunilall Baboolall a prominent gold miner from Bartica who was in the area moments before the explosion told this newspaper that the Brazilian was a passenger aboard the wooden vessel “Akeem,” which was transporting fuel into the interior.
Kaieteur News understands that at the time of the collision, the combustible content aboard the vessel caused a quick explosion, fatally injuring the woman and catapulting her body into the river. It was reported too, that the explosion caused significant damage to the engine and hull of the small wooden vessel, food supplies and about seven barrels containing fuel on board were also damaged.
However, no one else was reportedly seriously injured in the collision.

The wooden vessel involved in the explosion yesterday

Police in a statement noted that investigations have so far revealed that the boats, captained by Eugene Charles, 58 years, of Parika, East Bank Essequibo and Clifton Melville, 19 years old, of Fifth Avenue, Bartica, were proceeding along the Mazaruni River with passengers when they collided, causing the Brazilian national, 31 years, to fall overboard and disappear under the water.
As a result, a search was conducted and the body was recovered and taken to the Bartica Hospital.
Meanwhile, investigations are in progress; Police and MARAD have sent teams into the Mazaruni area to commence investigations into the incident. (Rehanna Ramsay)