Ferry with 116 aboard sinks off Guyana, 53 rescued as search continues
A ferry carrying 116 passengers has sunk off the coast of Guyana, with 53 people rescued so far and more than 60 others unaccounted for, according to local authorities (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gm99nrm7o). The MV Barima capsized near Iron Punt on its route from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma, the BBC reported, citing a statement from Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Sun, 19 July 2026 · 1 min read
A ferry carrying 116 passengers has sunk off the coast of Guyana, with 53 people rescued so far and more than 60 others unaccounted for, according to local authorities (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gm99nrm7o). The MV Barima capsized near Iron Punt on its route from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma, the BBC reported, citing a statement from Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.
A distress call was received at 23:01 local time, triggering an urgent search involving state and private boats, Minister Edghill said in a social media post (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gm99nrm7o). The state of the operation remains unclear, and it is not known whether authorities expect to rescue the remaining passengers, the BBC said.
The vessel was built in 1939 and is 40 metres (131 ft) long, according to a listing on the tracking site VesselFinder cited by the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gm99nrm7o). Edghill said the ferry was fitted with 250 life jackets, two rigid life rafts and six inflatable life rafts.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips is leading the government's response to the disaster, the BBC reported (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gm99nrm7o). The sinking adds to a series of maritime accidents in the Caribbean and South America that have raised concerns about the safety of ageing passenger vessels on regional routes.
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