(Kaieteur News) – The MV Barima’s decades-long service to Guyana came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday night when the vessel sank off the country’s northern coastline, leaving scores of passengers missing in what is now being described as one of the nation’s worst maritime disasters.

The 87-year-old vessel went down about seven miles offshore near Iron Punt, in the vicinity of the Pomeroon River, while on its scheduled voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One.

According to the vessel’s manifest, 133 passengers and crew, along with more than 200 tonnes of cargo, were on board. Up to press time, 67 people had been rescued and two bodies recovered, while dozens remained missing as search and rescue operations continued. Authorities believe the actual number of passengers may have been higher, as several survivors were reportedly not listed on the manifest.