Guyana Ferry Death Toll Reaches 41 as Rescue Teams Recover More Bodies and Search for Survivors

Guyana’s authorities raised the death toll from the MV Barima ferry accident to at least 41 people as of July 21, Al Jazeera reported. Officials said search teams recovered 14 additional bodies that day, increasing the previous day’s total of 27. The MV Barima capsized at sea on the night of July 18 while traveling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the Essequibo region.

The vessel was carrying 179 people, though its passenger manifest listed only 133, according to Guyana officials. Seventy-seven people have been rescued, and search crews continue operations for dozens still unaccounted for. Guyana’s Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill described the incident as the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades.

The government deployed 16 vessels to the wreckage area, where French and local divers are leading recovery efforts. Forensic personnel were photographed standing by a waterfront in Charity, Guyana, on July 21. Police took the ferry’s captain and at least one other crew member into custody after they tested positive for marijuana.

“We have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work. And for us to have positive tests from the captain, this is serious,” Edghill said. The MV Barima was built in 1939, according to VesselFinder.

The ferry typically travels by sea before entering a river to reach Port Kaituma, located in dense rainforest.