Guyana ferry disaster toll rises as more passengers feared aboard

Charity,UPDATED: Jul 21, 2026 21:14 IST

At least 27 bodies have been recovered and 69 people rescued after the MV Barima capsized off Guyana's Essequibo coast late on Saturday, with authorities warning that the death toll is likely to rise. Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the ferry's manifest listed 116 passengers and 17 crew, but officials now believe as many as 179 people may have been on board.

One of the survivors, Helena Moonsammy, said she lost four of her grandchildren in the disaster and described how quickly the ferry went down. An investigation is under way into the capsizing of the 87-year-old vessel, which began taking on water while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in northwestern Guyana, near Venezuela.

Moonsammy said the scene turned chaotic within moments. "I was fighting for my life. The boat sunk in minutes, seconds," she recalled, adding that boxes fell on her as she tried to save her grandchildren. "I told my grandbabies to cling on to anything as I hollered for them. I prayed all night and was in the water for nine hours."

President Irfaan Ali, in a national address, said, "Brace yourself for the coming days. It is going to be a difficult period for us as a people and as a country. May God watch over Guyana and bring us through this horrible experience."

Moonsammy was among dozens of friends and relatives of the missing gathered at a hospital in the coastal town of Charity to identify loved ones. Wearing a facemask like many around her, she said, "I have to see the bodies before I go home."

Officials said the rescued captain and at least one other crew member tested positive for marijuana and remain in police custody as part of a criminal investigation. Neighbouring countries have sent boats, spotter planes and rescue personnel, including divers from French Guiana, as officials prepare to shift from a rescue operation to a recovery effort.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said all staff linked to the management and loading of the MV Barima had been suspended amid suspicion that extra passengers and cargo may have been loaded illegally without being added to the manifest. Passengers have complained for years that ticket clerks unofficially sell seats to friends and associates for cash without recording their names, a practice they say has continued for decades at state-run ferry terminals.

The MV Barima had been dry docked and overhauled in 2024 and was due for major repairs in October. With the number of people believed to have been on board now higher than first recorded, authorities are continuing the investigation and recovery work as families wait for news of the missing.

With PTI Inputs

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