The Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy will begin formal hearings on October 14, with more than 100 witnesses expected to give evidence as investigators seek to determine what led to the vessel’s capsizing and sinking on July 18 last year.
Secretary to the Commission, Javed Shadick, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing outlining the Commission’s schedule and preparations for the start of evidence taking.
The hearings will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) at Liliendaal, where the Commission Secretariat is based. Proceedings will run from Mondays to Fridays, between 9:00h and 16:00h. Interpreters and counselors will be available where necessary.
Shadick explained that the witnesses have been divided into several broad categories, including first responders, government officials, survivors, and relatives of those who died in the tragedy.
However, despite a public notice issued last week inviting persons with information to come forward, only one survivor has so far contacted the Secretariat indicating an intention to testify. Prior to the start of formal hearings, the commissioners will undertake a series of meetings and site visits.
The Commission will officially begin its work at 10:00h on October 7, when the commissioners are scheduled to meet with families of survivors from Regions Three, Four, and Five.
On October 8, they will visit Kingston Wharf, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), and the Transport and Harbours Department. The following day, October 9, the commissioners will inspect two dry-dock facilities on the East Bank of Demerara. The Commission will then travel to Mabaruma and Port Kaituma on October 12 and 13, respectively, to meet with survivors and relatives and visit wharf facilities.
Shadick emphasized that these engagements will not form part of the formal evidence-taking process. The Commission has been tasked with determining the full circumstances surrounding the MV Barima tragedy.
Meanwhile, the Commission was initially given two months to complete its work, but Shadick said an extension will be necessary due to the volume of evidence expected and the number of witnesses to be heard. He estimated that the Commission could take about six months to complete its work, although the final timeline will depend largely on how long the evidence-gathering process takes.
The five-member Commission is chaired by Belizean Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith. Its other members are Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden Pritchard, and Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski.
The MV Barima capsized on Saturday, July 18, 2026, approximately 9.3 nautical miles off Devonshire Castle on the Essequibo Coast. The passenger and cargo ferry had departed the Kingston Goods Wharf in Georgetown at about 15:15h on its scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma.
However, at about 23:01h, the vessel transmitted a distress signal after encountering difficulties off the Essequibo Coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River. A total of 179 people, including 18 crew members, were onboard. The disaster claimed 73 lives, while 76 people survived, and approximately 30 remain unaccounted for.
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