The human toll from the MV Barima disaster continues to mount, with the government reporting that 40 bodies have now been recovered from the sunken ferry as the search and recovery operation enters another grim phase.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who has mounted a parallel search effort using privately mobilized resources, said his team has recovered eight bodies, all of which were handed over to the Guyana Police Force at Charity, Essequibo, for official processing and identification.

The latest developments underscore the scale of what is now regarded as the worst maritime disaster in Guyana in decades.