A major maritime disaster has unfolded off the northern coast of Guyana, where a passenger ferry carrying 116 people capsized and sank late Wednesday local time, triggering a large-scale overnight rescue operation involving both government and private vessels. The vessel, identified as the MV Barima, was traveling along its scheduled route from the capital city of Georgetown to Port Kaituma when it overturned near the coastal outpost of Iron Punt.
According to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, local emergency authorities received an initial distress signal from the ferry at 23:01 local time, which translates to 03:01 British Summer Time. The alert immediately launched a coordinated search and rescue mission, with rescuers working through darkness and challenging coastal conditions to pull survivors from the water. As of the latest official update, 53 passengers have been pulled to safety, but the fate of the remaining 63 people on board remains unknown.
Details of the vessel show that the MV Barima is no ordinary ferry: launched all the way back in 1939, the 40-meter (131-foot) craft has been in service for more than 80 years, according to vessel tracking data from maritime industry database VesselFinder. Edghill confirmed that the ship was equipped with sufficient safety equipment ahead of its voyage, including 250 life jackets, two rigid-hulled lifeboats and six inflatable life craft. Even so, the rapid capsizing left many passengers stranded in open water before safety gear could be deployed.
Guyana’s top government officials have moved quickly to oversee the emergency response. Prime Minister Mark Phillips is personally leading the government’s coordination of the search and rescue effort, as authorities work to clarify the status of ongoing operations and assess what led to the sudden sinking. At this stage, it remains unclear whether rescue teams expect to find more survivors, and officials have not yet released any information about possible casualties or the cause of the incident. Local communities along the coast have mobilized to support the operation, with private boat owners joining the effort to search for missing passengers in nearby waters.