Families Told BK Intl to Salvage MV Barima as Commission Vows to Find Answers

The families of those killed and survivors of the MV Barima tragedy were told Wednesday that BK International is being lined up by the Government to salvage the sunken vessel, a development that came as the Commission of Inquiry met face-to-face with relatives for the first time.

The disclosure was made during the Commission’s meeting with affected families at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, almost three months after the vessel sank on July 18 with more than 170 people aboard. The wreck remains underwater off the Essequibo Coast and is considered a potentially critical source of evidence in determining what caused the disaster.

Commissioner Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski, a Polish naval architect and marine engineer, said he met the prospective salvage team on Tuesday to discuss how the vessel could be recovered while protecting its evidentiary value. He said negotiations were still being finalised but indicated that salvage operations could begin this month.