Several people are feared dead after a boat carrying more than 100 people capsized off the coast of Guyana, officials said.
The ferry MV Barima left Guyana, located on the northeastern corner of South America, on Saturday afternoon carrying at least 133 people on board for a trip from the capital Georgetown to Port Kaituma.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said the list of people on board the ship “is not a true reflection of those on board”, and asked family members and loved ones to contact authorities to create an official count of the missing.
Inaccuracies in passenger lists have created an additional challenge because officials do not know how many people they are searching for.
Rescue operations underway
The rescue operation was launched after air traffic control received distress call from the boat at around 11 pm local time on Saturday.
The rescue team has so far rescued 67 people. The rescued victims included 41 men, 11 women, six boys and nine girls, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said in a statement Sunday.
“Families of those rescued, as well as relatives of all recorded passengers and crew members, are also engaged in the work,” Phillips said, adding that the ship’s captain and mate, who were among those rescued, have returned to the area to assist in search and rescue operations.
However, no survivors have been found since Sunday afternoon.
“Search and rescue is still ongoing,” Public Works Minister Edghill said. “So for families who are wondering about their loved ones, we are doing everything we can to find them.”
What do we know about the cause of the incident?
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said investigators were looking into the incident, adding that two crew members had tested positive for cannabis.
Phillips said the ship, which was scheduled for maintenance in 2024 and was due to be inspected later this year, reported a cargo weight of 268 tonnes out of a capacity of 284 tonnes.
According to the Prime Minister, it was licensed to carry more than 300 passengers and was equipped with 250 life jackets, six inflatable life rafts and two rigid life rafts.
“Let me be absolutely clear: where negligence, misconduct or criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law,” Phillips said at a news conference Sunday evening.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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