Guyana Ferry Disaster
There were 179 passengers recorded in the MV Barima. (Photo for illustration purposes only.) Pexels/Lucia Barreiros Silva

At least 27 people have been confirmed dead after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana, with search teams continuing to look for 83 people still missing in one of the country's deadliest maritime disasters in recent years.

Authorities said the rescue effort has been complicated by major inaccuracies in the vessel's passenger manifest. Although the official list recorded 133 passengers, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said officials are now confident that 179 people were aboard the MV Barima when it overturned late on Saturday. The revised figure has complicated efforts to determine how many people remain unaccounted for.

The ferry was travelling from the capital, Georgetown, to the remote north-western community of Port Kaituma when it capsized off Guyana's Atlantic coast. Sixty-nine people have been rescued, while search teams supported by private energy companies, local fishermen and international rescue personnel continue searching an area covering about 1,040 square kilometres.

Passenger Manifest Complicates Search

Officials said several people rescued from the water were not listed on the ferry's official passenger list, prompting authorities to revise the estimated number of people on board from 133 to 179. Phillips said the government was now confident the higher figure reflected the number of passengers and crew aboard when the ferry sank.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said early rescue efforts were severely hampered by darkness and a lack of vessels equipped with specialised scanners, forcing rescuers to rely initially on eyesight and sound. Since then, oil and gas companies operating offshore have deployed vessels fitted with scanners, while divers and local fishermen have joined the expanding search operation.

French Guiana also dispatched a specialist team comprising 12 military divers, two doctors and technical personnel to assist Guyanese authorities in searching the submerged vessel.

Crew Arrests and Negligence Probe

Phillips said a full investigation had been launched into potential criminal negligence and institutional failures within Guyana's maritime administration. He said anyone found responsible for misconduct or safety failures would face legal action. Authorities continue working to establish the final casualty and missing-person figures after discovering the manifest significantly underestimated the number of people believed to have been aboard.

The vessel's captain and at least one other crew member were taken into police custody after authorities said they tested positive for marijuana shortly after being rescued.

Safety Questions Surround Ageing Ferry

Built in 1939, the MV Barima underwent routine maintenance in 2024 and was scheduled for dry-docking later this year. Air traffic controllers received a distress call at about 11:00pm on Saturday, roughly eight hours after the ferry departed Georgetown.

Officials said the ferry was carrying 268 tonnes of cargo, below its 284-tonne capacity, and was licensed to carry more than 300 passengers. It was also equipped with 250 life jackets and multiple life rafts, meaning the revised estimate of 179 people remained within the ferry's certified passenger capacity.

Despite those safety measures, investigators have not yet determined what caused the vessel to overturn. Authorities said search and recovery operations remain focused on locating those who are still missing while investigators work to determine what caused the ferry to capsize.

The tragedy has become one of Guyana's worst maritime accidents in recent history, with families in Georgetown and Port Kaituma still awaiting news of missing relatives as the search continues.

Writer's pick