Guyana ferry disaster leaves at least 27 dead as search continues for 83 missing

At least 27 people have died after a ferry capsized off the coast of Guyana, with rescue teams continuing to search for 83 people still missing from the disaster.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips said on Monday that 69 people had been rescued from the MV Barima after it overturned on Saturday night while travelling from the capital, Georgetown, towards the inland Essequibo region.

The death toll rose from an earlier estimate of 10 as authorities expanded the search operation. Phillips said the number of people aboard the ferry had also been revised, with officials now confident that 179 passengers and crew were on board.

“Our focus again is on finding people,” Phillips told reporters. “We still have hope.”

The search area was expanded on Monday from 400 square kilometres to 1,070 square kilometres as authorities worked to locate survivors and recover victims. Local fishermen joined the operation, while France sent assistance from nearby French Guiana.

The French military deployed 12 divers, two doctors and a mechanic to support the search and rescue effort, according to the Guyanese presidency.

The ferry had been travelling for several hours before a distress call was received, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said earlier. The vessel, built in 1939, was making a journey through waters that connect coastal routes with the Essequibo region, where boats eventually reach Port Kaituma deep inside a dense rainforest.

Officials have also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Phillips said on Sunday that two crew members had tested positive for marijuana following the incident. The results are part of the wider investigation and authorities have not yet announced any conclusions about what caused the ferry to capsize.

There was initial confusion over the number of people aboard the vessel. A passenger manifest listed 133 people, but Edghill said that figure was inaccurate. The government later revised the estimated number of passengers and crew to 179.

The tragedy has brought mourning to Guyana, a small English-speaking country on the northeastern coast of South America. The country is also involved in a long-running territorial dispute with neighbouring Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region.

Rescue teams were expected to continue searching the expanded area as families awaited news of those still missing.