(Kaieteur News) – The Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) of New Amsterdam has announced that families of those who lost their lives in the MV Barima tragedy will not be required to pay for burial plots at the Stanleytown Cemetery.

Mayor Wainwright McIntosh made the announcement on Wednesday, describing the move as a gesture of solidarity with the grieving families.

“I wish to announce that the municipality of New Amsterdam will be waiving all costs associated with burial spaces for the victims of this tragedy. The affected families will not be required to pay any monies for burial spaces….as a municipality, we pray that God will grant these families the strength, comfort, and courage they need during this profoundly painful period,” the mayor said in a statement.