TT, Brazil to send more divers to help in search and rescue operations – PM

The government continues to receive regional assistance in its search and rescue operations following the capsizing of the MV Barima on Saturday night, with Trinidad and Tobago as well as Brazil expected to deploy divers to Guyana tomorrow.

This was confirmed by Prime Minister Mark Phillips during an interview by Starting Point on Tuesday.

“We have assistance being offered, additional assistance being offered from the government of Trinidad and Tobago. So, we expect tomorrow morning a boat to arrive with additional divers, and sometime tomorrow afternoon, another vessel from Brazil with more divers to help us to recover,” he disclosed.

Guyana is already receiving support from French Guiana, which has sent 12 specialist divers, two medics, and one mechanic to assist in the operations. Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago had already deployed its coast guard and a surveillance aircraft to aid in the search and rescue.

Though it has been more than 48 hours since the tragedy, PM Phillips remains hopeful of finding persons alive.

“We were advised that a vessel like this will have pockets of air, so they have to go through the vessel and search every compartment of the vessel to see if there’s anybody who’s still clinging to life there,” he noted.

The location of the vessel was on Monday identified by local fishermen; it is sitting on seabed just over nine miles offshore of the Devonshire Castle Flats area in about 50 feet of water.

So far, 41 bodies have been recovered while the count of rescued persons stands at 77. Of the 41 bodies recovered, PM said 23 have been identified by relatives.

It is estimated that 179 persons, inclusive of passenger and crew, were on the ferry when it went down, meaning some 61 persons remain unaccounted for.

PM Phillips emphasised that the government will continue to work to ensure every person who was on the vessel is either rescued or their bodies recovered. “The purpose of this operation at this stage is to recover, and as I said, rescue anybody who’s out there and recover all the passengers, all 179 passengers who were there on the vessel,” he noted.

No new rescues

Meanwhile, the government has clarified that the increase of rescued persons to 77 does not reflect any new rescues.

“The adjustment mainly resulted from information being received from several different sources. As that information came in it was carefully reviewed and verified it to eliminate any duplication and provide a more accurate account of the number of persons rescued. Yesterday, the reported figure was 69. However, following further verification overnight, we were able to confirm that 77 persons who were on board the vessel had been rescued,” the statement explained.

Moreover, it added that this is a positive development. “Arriving at this figure required the examination of records and information submitted by all those involved in the operation,” the statement outlined.

Transparency, Inquiry

The Prime Minister also made it clear that the government has been transparent in its handling of the situation, noting that from the time discrepancies were discovered, those facts were shared with the public.He was referring to the discovery of the captain and a crew member being tested positive for marijuana use as well as the uncovering of the manifest being grossly inaccurate.

Already, a probe has been launched, examining all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragedy, including the accuracy of the passenger manifest, the loading of passengers and cargo, compliance with maritime safety regulations and the conduct of the captain and crew before and during the voyage.

PM Phillips assured that the government “will not leave any stone unturned”.

“We will commission an inquiry as soon as physically possible, because I said as soon as physically possible because the effort now is on dealing with the current situation, which involves rescue and recovery. And the next stage, having done that, is having the investigation started into this incident,” he said.

“We are approaching this whole operation in a manner to bring closure to people, but at the same time with a high degree of transparency. We’re not covering up anything,” the PM further posited.

Inaccuracies

 During the interview, PM Phillips also warned against the sharing of inaccurate information on social media. He made reference to a photo being circulated, allegedly showing the vessel sinking.

“I want to appeal to the people of Guyana to be very responsible at this stage. There is no official footage of this vessel floating and, you know, being capsized and floating. This incident took place during the hours of darkness. So, to show an image of the vessel on its side floating on the water, that is some AI-generated image that is meant to create mischief,” he contended.

Already, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a statement warning of consequences for the sharing of misinformation in relation to this tragedy. The statement outlined that “the deliberate spread of misinformation at a time of national grief is not only insensitive and deeply hurtful to the families who are mourning, but also has the potential to impede ongoing investigations, create unnecessary fear, and mislead the public. Let it be clear: anyone who knowingly creates, shares, or republishes false or misleading content purporting to depict or relate to this tragedy may be committing offences under the laws of Guyana.”

In fact, the Home Affairs Ministry posited that, “such acts of public mischief and any other applicable offences will be investigated, and where the evidence supports it, those responsible will face the full force of the law”.

The ministry, therefore, encouraged all citizens to act responsibly, verify information before sharing it, and allow the investigative process to proceed without interference.

Investigation

The Home Affairs Ministry also confirmed that it is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy and is urging all persons with information that could be useful to the probe to come forward.

“We encourage anyone with firsthand information, photographs, videos, or any other evidence that may assist investigators to come forward and provide that material directly to the Guyana Police Force. The cooperation of the public is vital to ensuring that the investigation is thorough and that all relevant facts are established,” the statement reads.