Search and Rescue Underway After Guyana Ferry Overturns
A major search and rescue operation is underway in Guyana after the MV Barima overturned late Saturday night while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma with 116 passengers and 17 crew members on board.
The vessel issued a distress call shortly after 11:00 p.m., triggering an immediate emergency response involving the Guyana Defence Force, Coast Guard, aircraft, medical personnel and private vessels.
Authorities have confirmed that 67 people have been rescued, including 15 children, while efforts continue to locate those who remain unaccounted for. Rescue teams are searching a wide area off the Pomeroon coast using helicopters, boats and other marine assets.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said the ferry was equipped with life jackets and life rafts, and preliminary accounts from survivors suggest the vessel may have encountered rough tidal conditions before capsizing. Officials stressed that the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the government’s priority is to rescue every possible survivor, with emergency resources remaining deployed as the operation continues.
