Overview
- The MV Barima began taking on water and capsized on a trip from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, with authorities saying the weekend voyage left about 76 people rescued, 53 bodies recovered and dozens still missing.
- Rescue work shifted to seabed mapping after the wreck was located on its starboard side and officials plan to raise the ferry with flotation gear to recover more victims and evidence.
- The government announced a new independent commission to probe causes and procedures while separate criminal and administrative investigations continue into the disaster.
- Officials say the ship's official manifest understated who boarded, listing 116 passengers and 17 crew while investigators now estimate about 179 people were aboard, and survivors allege the vessel carried heavy cargo that worsened stability.
- The 87-year-old ferry was last dry-docked in 2024 and a replacement boat awaits a completed pier at Port Kaituma, ExxonMobil and private partners have provided mapping help, and families are pressing for quick answers and reforms.