A ferry carrying 116 passengers and crew has capsized off the coast of Guyana, with eight people so far rescued alive as a massive search operation scrambles to find the rest.
The MV Barima went down near Iron Punt while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, having departed at 3pm on Saturday, local time. A distress call was received at 11:01pm (4:01am BST), triggering an urgent deployment of state and private boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said in a Facebook Live post.
“Eight rescued alive after ferry carrying 116 capsizes off Guyana, triggering massive search.”
“There is an active search and rescue operation that is taking place and we pray for the safety of all,” Edghill said. He confirmed that eight persons onboard had been “retrieved alive” and that another ferry was being sent to the area to provide emergency treatment and care. “The medical services are on board one of our Transport (and Harbours Department) steamers, heading to the area to provide a base to start providing medical attention to those who require as soon as they are rescued,” he added.
Guyana’s defence forces joined the effort. Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan, confirmed that the Air Corps and Coast Guard had been deployed to the location. “A tough morning. Air and marine teams mobilised,” he told local media outlet Demerara Waves.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips is said to be leading the government response.
The MV Barima, built in 1939, is 40m (131ft) long and was fitted with 250 life jackets, two rigid life crafts and six inflatable life crafts, according to the Public Works Ministry. Despite those provisions, the fate of the remaining 108 passengers remained unknown late on Saturday night, with the full scale of the disaster still unfolding.
