Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is urging the government to provide fuel assistance to local fisherfolk so they can join the search for victims of the MV Barima disaster, arguing that the country’s limited search resources should be strengthened by those who know Guyana’s rivers and coastal waters best.

Mohamed made the appeal on Tuesday, July 21, after spending three days at sea assisting with search efforts alongside volunteers.

His proposal comes as the scale of the tragedy continues to grow. Authorities now believe 179 people were aboard the state-owned ferry when it capsized late Saturday while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, far exceeding the 133 people listed on the official manifest. As of Tuesday afternoon, 77 people had been rescued, 41 bodies recovered, and 61 remained unaccounted for, underscoring the enormity of the search effort.