Declaring that Public Works Minister Juan Edghill “must go” and warning that “it won’t be business as usual” once public attention fades, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed over the weekend intensified pressure on the Government after hearing firsthand accounts from families devastated by the MV Barima disaster, including allegations of neglect, inadequate support and years of ignored safety concerns.

Continuing his outreach in Port Kaituma, where many of the victims lived, Mohamed met with grieving relatives and survivors still struggling to come to terms with Guyana’s deadliest maritime tragedy in decades.

The July 18 sinking of the state-owned MV Barima has left communities across the North West District shattered. As of Saturday, July 26, authorities reported that 73 bodies had been recovered, 76 people rescued and 30 people remained missing. Investigators now estimate that approximately 179 passengers and crew were aboard the ferry when it capsized, significantly more than the original official manifest, which listed only 116 passengers and 16 to 17 crew members. The revised figures emerged after investigators determined that dozens of unlisted persons had also boarded the vessel.