The death toll from the MV Barima disaster has risen to 53, with 76 survivors now verified, as Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Tuesday acknowledged that government cargo was among the freight aboard the ill-fated ferry and admitted there appeared to have been a “breakdown” in the vessel’s pre-departure inspection process.

Providing the latest update on the search and recovery operation, Phillips said 26 victims have been positively identified, while one additional body has been located inside the wreck but has not yet been recovered. He confirmed that no survivors have been found at the wreck site, where French Guianese and Guyanese divers continue underwater recovery operations.

The 87-year-old MV Barima capsized late on Saturday, July 18, during its voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One, becoming one of Guyana’s worst maritime disasters in decades. What initially appeared to be a routine passenger voyage has evolved into a national tragedy that has sparked widespread questions about maritime safety, government oversight and the continued operation of ageing vessels.