Rome, 21 July (LaPresse) – The Guyanese authorities say they have recovered 27 bodies after a ferry capsized off the country’s coast last Saturday with 179 people on board. The MV Barima sent out a distress call on Saturday evening after capsizing whilst ferrying passengers from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma in north-western Guyana. Officials said that 69 people had been rescued, whilst 83 remain missing. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill described the tragedy as the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades. Prime Minister Mark Phillips has launched an investigation into potential negligence on the part of the ferry’s crew in the run-up to the accident. According to local media reports, some crew members are said to have been taken into custody after testing positive for cannabis. Furthermore, the passenger list is reportedly inaccurate, making it difficult to establish exactly how many people were actually on board.
Guyana: at least 27 dead in capsized ferry, crew under investigation
Rome, 21 July (LaPresse) – The Guyanese authorities say they have recovered 27 bodies after a ferry capsized off the country’s coast last Saturday with 179 people on board. The MV Barima sent out a distress call on Saturday evening after capsizing whilst ferrying passengers from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma in north-western Guyana. Officials said that 69 people had been rescued, whilst 83 remain missing. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill described the tragedy as the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades. Prime Minister Mark Phillips has launched an investigation into potential negligence on the part of the ferry’s crew in the run-up to the accident. According to local media reports, some crew members are said to have been taken into custody after testing positive for cannabis. Furthermore, the passenger list is reportedly inaccurate, making it difficult to establish exactly how many people were actually on board.
