THE death toll in the MV Barima tragedy has climbed to 65, following the recovery of three additional bodies, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips announced on Wednesday afternoon.

In his latest press update, the Prime Minister said the three recoveries brought the total number of bodies recovered during Wednesday’s operations to five.

Overall, 65 bodies have now been recovered since search and rescue operations began following Saturday night’s tragedy.

Of those recovered, 44 victims have been positively identified by their families, while 23 bodies have already been released to relatives for funeral rites and burial.

Phillips said regional authorities, together with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, continue to work closely with grieving families to facilitate the identification process and the release of victims.

Meanwhile, the number of rescued passengers and crew remains unchanged at 76.

Search and recovery operations continue as local and international teams work to account for everyone who was aboard the MV Barima when it capsized en route to Port Kaituma.