(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Congregational Union has extended condolences to the families of those who died in the MV Barima disaster, describing the July 18 tragedy as an unprecedented loss of life for the country and expressing hope that the newly named Commission of Inquiry (COI) will begin its work “very soon.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Union said the country had never before recorded the loss of so many Guyanese lives in a single disaster, and mourned what it called a significant loss of human potential, pointing in particular to the many young people and children who died when the vessel capsized en route to Port Kaituma, Region One.

The statement reflected at length on the manner of the tragedy, noting that both young and old passengers died together in rough, dark waters, and said the circumstances surrounding the loss have made it difficult for families, friends, and sympathisers to move forward.