Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips announced that, following a thorough investigation, the updated number of persons believed to have been aboard the MV Barima is 179. This figure includes a crew of 18 members. The revised count reflects ongoing efforts to account for all individuals involved in the tragic incident.
During the press conference on Monday night, Phillips said of the 27 bodies recovered, four are children, six are males, and four are females. An additional fourteen bodies have yet to be identified.
In response to the situation, the Ministry of Health and the Guyana Police Force have established joint protocols to ensure the proper processing, identification, transportation, and storage of the deceased.
“We have decided that we will take photographs of each body and those photographs would be mounted at the different centers. At Umana Yana, Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, and at Suddie Hospital which is the main processing facility,” Phillips explained.
Relatives of the victims were invited to participate in identification procedures at Suddie Hospital. To facilitate this process, aircraft have been made available for family members traveling from Port Kaituma and Mabaruma to Region 2, enabling them to identify the bodies of their loved ones.
The search efforts for the persons have intensified, with the Guyana Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), fishermen, and private assets all actively involved. Initially covering an area of 400 square kilometers, the search zone has now been expanded to 1,070 square kilometers to improve the chances of locating the remaining persons. Prime Minister Phillips have indicated that the search area is expected to expand further as efforts continue to locate the missing persons.
Rescue efforts are expected to continue overnight.
