The MV Barima’s captain and first engineer have been arrested by Guyana police after both tested positive for narcotics.Tragedy struck on Saturday night when the vessel, carrying an estimated 179 people on board, including 18 crew members, capsized while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village in the Barima-Waini Administrative Region.The passenger and cargo ferry capsized approximately seven miles offshore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River while en route to the North West District.
TRAGIC: Rescue efforts at the MV Barima boat accident in Guyana where many are feared dead after the passenger ferry capsized on Saturday.
As of yesterday afternoon, reports indicated that 67 people had been rescued, while dozens were feared dead.The death toll had risen to 27 and was expected to increase as bodies continued to be recovered from the water.“The identification process includes the involvement of relatives and will be done at the Suddie Hospital. The Government remains fully committed to the operation and continues to deploy all available resources to locate and account for every person who was aboard the MV Barima at the time of the tragic incident,” a statement from the Guyana government said.
