Death toll from Guyana boating tragedy nears 50

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC): 
The death toll from last Saturday’s boating disaster has risen to 41, with eight more people rescued as the search continues along Guyana’s Essequibo Coast, the Guyana Government said in a statement Tuesday.
It said 14 bodies had been recovered and 77 people rescued as of 2 p.m. local time, with 16 vessels deployed in the wreckage area as the search-and-rescue operation continued.
Guyana President Irfaan Ali, yesterday, proclaimed three days of national mourning beginning July 22.
The Government estimates that 179 people, including 18 crew members, were aboard the 87-year-old vessel when it went down almost 10 miles from the Essequibo Coast late Saturday night.
The official manifest listed 116 passengers and a 17-member crew. The captain and another crew member have since been detained as investigations continue into the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
“The designated search area has been expanded by an additional 400 square miles, extending up to Waini Point, to maximise the likelihood of locating any remaining persons,” the government statement said, adding that French and local divers were continuing underwater search-and-recovery operations at the wreckage site.
“The identification of recovered bodies is currently being undertaken by family members at Suddie Hospital,” the statement read. It added that stakeholders involved in the operation had been advised that any bodies retrieved during search-and-rescue or recovery operations should be immediately transferred to the custody of the Guyana Police Force at the established facility at Charity River Dam.
In the proclamation, Ali said, “The tragic loss of lives, arising from the disaster involving the M.V. Barima has brought profound and widespread sorrow and immeasurable grief throughout our nation.
“At this time of deep national sadness, as we pause to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives, to stand with their families, to offer comfort to survivors, and to demonstrate our collective compassion and solidarity.”
He said that during the period of national mourning, all national flags of Guyana would be flown at half-mast on government buildings, public institutions, and other appropriate locations throughout the country as a mark of respect and remembrance for those whose lives were lost.