The Government is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the MV Barima disaster after Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips disclosed that there are no plans to raise the state-owned ferry from the seabed, a position that has deepened the anguish of grieving families and reignited questions about whether authorities have exhausted every possible option to recover those still missing.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime disasters, in which the Transport and Harbours Department vessel capsized on the night of July 18 while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma with reportedly 116 passengers and 17 crew members on board. The number has since climbed to 180 persons on the vessel.

Government verification exercises have confirmed that 76 people survived the tragedy. Fifty-three bodies have since been recovered, while several passengers remain unaccounted for, leaving relatives clinging to hope that the wreck itself may still hold the answers—and perhaps the remains—of their loved ones.