MV Barima Disaster… 73 bodies found, 69 identified

Jul 25, 2026 News

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…Govt., grieving families clash over earthen burial

…as tugs remain idle at disaster site

(Kaieteur News) – Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips confirmed Friday that the search for victims of the MV Barima capsizing has expanded, with recovery crews now combing an additional 32 square miles stretching west to Waini Point and east to Adventure. Seventeen state assets — three aircraft and 14 maritime vessels — remain engaged around the clock, backed by continuous aerial surveillance.

Divers completed five dives on Friday, each lasting 45 to 60 minutes. One recovered a body from the vessel, bringing the number of bodies found to 73, of whom 69 have been positively identified. Of those, 63 have been released to their families, and six more are being transported to their home communities for burial. Twenty-two funerals have been held so far.

PM Phillips said the effort would continue “as long as necessary to ensure that every possible effort is made to account for those affected, with the utmost care, dignity, and respect.”

Diving teams also cut away tarpaulins and debris around the hull to improve access, work Phillips described as serving two purposes: continuing the search and laying groundwork for a possible attempt to right the vessel.

“The water is not only murky, but muddy,” he said, noting visibility remains a major obstacle and that specialists will judge when conditions allow further diving. No additional bodies were spotted during Friday’s dives, but officials cautioned that righting the vessel “may lead to us finding some more bodies.” Several vessels are standing by near the wreck for that next phase, though Phillips stressed no attempt to move the ferry has yet been made.

Questioned about passenger counts, Phillips reminded that people had boarded the ferry without appearing on its manifest. Using boarding-area surveillance footage, authorities settled on a working total of 179 people: 76 rescued and 73 recovered so far, with the remainder still being reconciled. Officials say identified victims will continue to be added to the public list as confirmations come in.

Tombs have been built at Mabaruma and White Water for victims, including Venezuelan nationals, and PM Phillips maintained that all burials are being carried out “in keeping with the family’s wishes” and in accordance with religious requirements. That account is contested: Venezuelan relatives say some family members were buried in earthen graves against their explicit wishes.

Built in 1938, the MV Barima was used in the Georgetown-to-Port Kaituma route because the newer MV Ma Lisha could not be accommodated there. The Prime Minister said the wharf upgrades at Port Kaituma meant to handle the Ma Lisha are behind schedule, so that vessel continues to sail only to Kumaka. Pressed on whether the construction delay contributed to the deaths, PM Phillips conceded: “The delay has contributed to us not being able to use the MV Ma Lisha to journey from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.”

Separately, MARAD Director General Captain Stephen Thomas could not explain when or why the Barima’s certified capacity changed from its original 1938 rating of 120 tons of cargo and 150 passengers, saying only, “I don’t have that information.” The PM noted that MARAD is a regulatory body distinct from the Transport and Harbours Department, which operates the ferries themselves.

Asked whether safety enforcement had lagged compared with past disasters such as the Mahdia dormitory fire, Phillips said breaches are corrected once identified and that a forthcoming inquiry would yield recommendations the government intends to act on.

“Enforcing safety regulations is always a priority because, as the name implies, it brings some level of confidence and reassurance to the people who are using the facility,” Phillips said. “Very important, when there’s any breach or deviation from regulations, once it comes to our knowledge we are committed to correcting those breaches to taking corrective action. The inquiry coming out of this unfortunate incident obviously will not only report but offer recommendations, and I can assure you that we will utilize those recommendations and seek to make service better from a standpoint of safety.”

Regarding specialised maritime support, PM Phillips confirmed that the Kalliope N was deployed into the operational area as a platform to support search and recovery efforts and has since returned to Georgetown.

He confirmed Cabinet did not meet formally this week because ministers were occupied with search, recovery, and funeral support across the country, and said an independent Commission of Inquiry will be established once the active recovery phase winds down, with terms of reference and panel members still being finalised. No foreign nationals have been officially confirmed among the dead, though authorities are checking the residency status of Spanish-speaking victims.

On calls for Public Works Minister Juan Edghill to resign, Phillips said the decision rests with President Dr. Irfaan Ali, not with him: “I am tasked with prime ministerial duties… That decision lies with Minister Edghill and the President of Guyana.”

He rejected attempts to reframe the political question around personal faith, emphasising that the situation must be kept strictly within the framework of a national search and recovery operation.

PM Phillips also pushed back on reports that the Transport and Harbours Department staff connected to the vessel had been fired, saying they were instead placed on administrative leave pending a formal investigation. Police are investigating separately, and crew members who tested positive for prohibited substances have been detained.

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• capsizing, Mabaruma, Mark Phillips, MV Barima, White Water

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