A REVIEW of CCTV recordings from the Georgetown port where the MV Barima was boarded has confirmed that 179 persons entered the vessel before it departed for Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini).
The investigative team concluded that the total comprised 81 males, 37 females, 43 children and 18 crew members.
The MV Barima departed Georgetown shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026, for Port Kaituma.
A distress call was received at approximately 11:01 p.m. after the vessel encountered difficulty and capsized, prompting the immediate activation of a massive search and rescue operation.
As of 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 76 persons had been rescued and 53 bodies recovered.
The Search and Rescue Coordination Centre continues to oversee the operation, with the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard serving as the lead operational agency.
The wider response includes the Joint Services, emergency and medical personnel, regional officials, private vessel operators, fisherfolk, community members, volunteers, civil society, the private sector and international partners.
The government also defended its handling of the investigation, pointing to the swift disclosure of key developments.
Officials noted that blood samples were taken from the captain and another crew member shortly after the incident. Both tested positive for cannabis, and those results were immediately made public before the individuals were arrested.
The government also said that once investigators realised more people had boarded the vessel than were listed on the official passenger manifest, that information was promptly released to the public.
Authorities are also urging citizens to exercise caution when sharing videos and photographs circulating on social media, warning that some content may be old, fabricated or unrelated to the tragedy.
They noted that many passengers lost their mobile phones during the sinking, making it difficult to immediately verify images and footage purportedly taken aboard the vessel.
The public is being encouraged to verify information before sharing it to avoid causing unnecessary panic and distress to grieving families.
Officials stressed that these actions demonstrate the government’s commitment to transparency rather than concealment.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has assured the nation that every available asset will continue to be deployed in the search.
He has also announced that a full, thorough and independent investigation will be conducted to determine precisely what occurred and whether any failures contributed to the tragedy