–expresses outrage as unmanifested passengers found among passengers
The Government has expressed outrage and ordered an urgent investigation after authorities confirmed that several persons rescued from the MV Barima were not listed on the vessel’s official passenger manifest.
The vessel departed Georgetown for Port Kaituma at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026. Its manifest reportedly listed 116 passengers and 17 crew members, while its cargo was recorded at approximately 268 tonnes.
At around 11:00 p.m., the Timehri Control Tower received a distress signal indicating that the vessel was in difficulty approximately seven miles offshore.
The Maritime Emergency Rescue Coordination Centre was immediately activated, and Coast Guard assets were deployed from Pomeroon and Georgetown.
State and privately operated marine and aviation resources were also mobilised.
By midday Sunday, 67 persons had been rescued.
However, as survivors were processed and their identities cross-checked, authorities began discovering that some of the rescued persons did not appear on the official manifest.
The Government said the information was verified through coordination among rescue officials and Emergency Family Assistance Centres established in Georgetown, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma.
According to the Government, the finding suggests that additional persons may have been allowed to board the vessel without being officially recorded.
The administration described the situation as a grave breach of maritime safety requirements and an unacceptable disregard for human life, noting that an inaccurate manifest can severely obstruct rescue, identification and family-notification efforts during an emergency.
The Government also disclosed that two rescued crew members reportedly tested positive for the use of prohibited substances.
That development, the Government said, raises serious questions about the judgment, fitness and conduct of persons entrusted with the safety of passengers.
An urgent investigation has since been commissioned, comprising representatives of the Guyana Defence Force, the Maritime Administration Department and other experts with maritime and technical credentials.
The inquiry will examine the placement and loading of passengers and cargo, compliance with the official manifest, the vessel’s authorised carrying capacity, safety procedures and the conduct of the captain and crew before and during the emergency.
Investigators are also expected to examine the seaworthiness and operation of the vessel and determine whether negligence, misconduct or breaches of maritime law contributed to the incident.
The Government said there would be no shielding of wrongdoing or concealment of facts.
It pledged that anyone found responsible for breaches that endangered passengers or contributed to the tragedy would face the full consequences of the law.
The search-and-rescue operation is continuing, while the Government has promised to make the findings of the investigation public.
