President Dr Irfaan Ali has proclaimed Wednesday (today), July 22, through Friday, July 24, 2026, as three days of national mourning in honour of the victims of the MV Barima tragedy, as the death toll from the maritime disaster has climbed to 53 with 50 still missing. During the period of mourning, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast on Government buildings and other appropriate locations across the country. Today, Wednesday, July 22, has also been declared a National Day of Prayer. A National Day of Prayer and Remembrance will be held at the Kingston Seawall in Georgetown, while a Night of Reflection and Prayer is scheduled for Port Kaituma on Thursday, July 23, and another in Mabaruma on Friday, July 24. Religious organisations, civic groups and citizens have also been encouraged to organise candlelight vigils and moments of prayer during the three-day period. The full proclamation will be published in the Official Gazette. The announcement came as Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips disclosed during a press conference on Tuesday that 53 bodies have so far been recovered from the tragedy, with 26 victims positively identified. He said the bodies are being stored at the Suddie Regional Hospital on the Essequibo Coast before being released to relatives for burial or cremation. Four refrigerated containers have been deployed to the hospital to ensure adequate storage capacity as recovery efforts continue.

Search, rescue and recovery operations remain ongoing. The MV Barima departed the Georgetown stelling at about 15:00h on Saturday on its scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), carrying 179 persons, including 18 crew members, and cargo. According to officials, the vessel encountered rough sea conditions off the Essequibo Coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River late that night. Survivors have recalled that the ferry began listing to one side before capsizing, throwing passengers into the water. A distress signal transmitted at approximately 23:01h was received by aviation authorities, triggering a large-scale response involving the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard and Air Corps, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), civilian vessels and local fishermen. Addressing concerns raised in the aftermath of the disaster, blood samples were taken from the captain and crew members for testing. Authorities released the results showing positive tests for cannabis and subsequently arrested the captain and two crew members. Subsequently, Government in its initial probe on the issue uncovered that more people were aboard the vessel than had been recorded on the original passenger manifest. That information, along with the manifest, was immediately made public. Officials further urged the public to exercise caution when sharing images and videos circulating on social media purporting to show the vessel before or after it capsized. They noted that many passengers lost their mobile phones during the tragedy, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of some material being shared and warned that unverified content could cause unnecessary panic and distress. The President has since announced that a separate investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances that led to the MV Barima capsizing. The investigation is expected to examine all relevant factors before any conclusions are reached.