(Kaieteur News) – The joint opposition has demanded the immediate resignation of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill in the wake of the MV Barima tragedy, which has left dozens still unaccounted for, with 65 bodies recovered so far and 76 people rescued.

On Wednesday, opposition parties — including We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), the Alliance For Change (AFC), and the Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC) — said at a joint press conference that they would have resigned had they been in Edghill’s position.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was not present at the press conference, held at WIN’s office on the East Bank of Demerara; he was at sea for a fourth day of search and recovery efforts. Speaking to reporters near the site of the sunken vessel, Mohamed said that with hopes fading of finding additional survivors — and the death toll expected to surpass 100 — he believes the crew members should be jailed, and that Edghill should face the same consequence.