The death toll from the MV Barima tragedy has risen to 27, according to Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips. In response to the ongoing crisis, authorities have deployed 13 assets on Monday morning to continue search operations for the missing passengers and crew members.
The number of rescued persons, including passengers and crew members, has now increased to 69. Phillips said some 83 persons are still to be found.
“A total of 27 bodies were recovered as of now. The latest report suggests an additional 83-person are still to be found they are deemed missing. We still have hope that people out there are alive and so we continue our search and rescue operation,” Phillips said
The location of the MV Barima has been positively confirmed. The vessel was located on the sea bed near the point of distress, which was initially communicated by the air traffic control tower approximately 9 miles offshore. The discovery was made possible with the assistance of fisherman Haresh Singh, who played a crucial role in the rescue efforts at the time of the incident by providing vital information regarding the vessel’s position.
the government of France, through its armed forces, has extended additional support to the rescue mission. France deployed 15 divers to assist in the operation, enhancing the efforts to locate and recover any remaining victims.
Following the deployment of additional dive support, the French divers have since joined the local dive team at the site of the MV Barima tragedy. To bolster the ongoing search efforts, the government of Trinidad and Tobago offered and deployed further search and dive capabilities to Guyana.
