A ferry carrying 116 passengers and crew flipped off the coast of Guyana overnight, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation. According to local authorities, 53 people have been rescued so far, while efforts continue to trace the remaining passengers. Read on to know more.
Ferry Carrying 116 Passengers Capsized In Guyana
As per a report by News18, the vessel, MV Barima, overturned near Iron Punt while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, the BBC reported. Officials received a distress call at 11.01 pm local time, leading to an immediate response involving the Guyana Coast Guard and several private vessels.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill stated that the ferry had left for Port Kaituma earlier in the day with 116 passengers and crew on board.
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Edghill stated that medical teams had been dispatched to the area to offer treatment to those rescued by the Coast Guard and private boats. However, authorities have not yet confirmed the condition of all passengers or indicated how many people are still missing.
Search Operation Continues At Coast Of Guyana
According to VesselFinder, the MV Barima, built in 1939, is approximately 40 metres (131 feet) long. The minister stated that the vessel was equipped with 250 life jackets, two rigid lifeboats and six inflatable life rafts at the time of the incident.
Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips is managing the government’s response as rescue operations continue. The ferry was travelling to Port Kaituma, a town in Guyana’s Essequibo region, an area that has remained at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. Officials are yet to determine the cause of the capsizing, and rescue teams remain on the scene searching for the remaining passengers.
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We hope everyone is safe and secure.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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