At least 53 dead in Guyana capsized ferry disaster

Guyana's President Irfaan Ali (R, red cap) and military staff hold a meeting with survivors and relatives of those missing since the capsizing of a ferry that left at least 41 people dead © Handout / NCN Guyana/AFP

At least 53 people died after a ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said on Tuesday.

The MV Barima was traveling from the capital Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Guyana’s inland Essequibo region when it flipped over on Saturday night.

A desperate search for survivors began early Sunday, with 76 people rescued so far, according to Phillips, after the government previously said 77 had been located alive.

The prime minister on Tuesday revised the death toll for the second time in one day, raising it from 41 to 53.

There had been confusion earlier over how many were involved in the tragedy due to an inaccurate passenger manifest which listed 133 people aboard, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said.

But on Monday, Phillips said he was confident that 179 people had been on board when the accident occurred. The ferry was built in 1939, according to the shipping website VesselFinder.

AFP

AFP is one of the world's three major news agencies, and the only European one. Its mission is to provide rapid, comprehensive, impartial and verified coverage of the news and issues that shape our daily lives.