Largest river of Guyana and the wider Amazon–Orinoco basin
A ferry disaster off Guyana’s coast has prompted a large-scale search and rescue operation. The MV Barima capsized near Iron Punt while traveling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Authorities say 67 people have survived; many remain missing. The government is leading the response, with life jackets and lifeboats in use and investigations into possible wrongdoing underway.
A decades-old ferry, MV Barima, capsized off Guyana’s Essequibo coast. Officials say 69 have been rescued, with 83 missing and the death toll rising as the search area expands and divers join the operation. The vessel, built in 1939, was en route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma when it overturned. Queries over the manifest and safety procedures are prompting a government probe.