Guyana Ferry Disaster Leaves 66 Missing as Captain, Crew Held After Positive Drug Tests
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 19
Guyana Ferry Disaster Leaves 66 Missing as Captain, Crew Held After Positive Drug Tests
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 19
Summary
Sixty-six people remained missing after the MV Barima capsized off Guyana’s North Atlantic coast, with rescuers saving 67 of the 133 people believed to have been aboard.
Drug tests on the captain and several crew members came back positive for marijuana, and all were taken into police custody as authorities opened a wrongdoing investigation.
Search teams found no additional survivors after Sunday afternoon; darkness and a lack of scanner-equipped vessels initially slowed the response, prompting oil and gas companies to send support craft.
Authorities expanded the search zone to 1,040 square km and deployed divers to enter the ferry, while also finding some survivors were not on the manifest, raising questions about the passenger count.
The ferry, built in 1939 and due for dry docking later this year, was sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma when it sent a distress call about 11 p.m. Saturday.