At least 27 people have died and 83 remain missing after the MV Barima ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana on Saturday night. Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed the updated toll on Monday adding that 69 people have been safely rescued.
Authorities are now confident that 179 people were aboard the 1939-built vessel correcting an inaccurate passenger manifest that initially listed only 133 individuals. The ferry was traveling from the capital, Georgetown toward the inland Essequibo region when the tragedy occurred. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill stated that a distress call was received approximately eight hours after the ship departed in the mid-afternoon.
Search and rescue operations are urgently ongoing, with authorities expanding the search area to 1,070 square kilometers (413 square miles). Local fishermen are assisting the recovery efforts alongside a team of 12 divers two doctors and a mechanic deployed by the French army from neighboring French Guiana.
A formal investigation into the disaster is currently underway. Prime Minister Phillips revealed that two crew members tested positive for marijuana following the incident.
