MV Barima Ferry Disaster Claims Over 70 Lives in Guyana

On July 18‑19, 2026 the 87‑year‑old state ferry MV Barima capsized off the Essequibo coast of Guyana while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The vessel was carrying an estimated 179 people, far exceeding its design capacity. The confirmed death toll has risen to 72, 76 passengers have been rescued and dozens remain missing.

Guyana’s government has opened a criminal investigation, detaining the captain, a crew member who tested positive for marijuana and the marine superintendent who oversaw loading. Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the state will pay funeral costs and announced plans for a domestic commission of inquiry alongside an independent technical probe required by the International Maritime Organization. Divers from Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago are conducting salvage operations. Opposition leaders have called for the resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill. The Barima, built in Scotland in 1939 for the former British colony of British Guiana, has been compared to the 1970 MV Christena tragedy.