GEORGETOWN, Guyana , Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has joined search and recovery efforts at the site of the MV Barima disaster, where he says crews continue to search for victims while awaiting the arrival of an international diving team to assist in underwater recovery operations.
Speaking during an interview with journalist Gordon Moseley from aboard a vessel near the wreck site, Mohamed said search teams were positioned only about 100 feet from where the ferry rests beneath the water. He explained that the search area remains extremely wide because tidal currents may have carried victims many miles from the sinking location.
“Yesterday morning we found about ten bodies at the Pomeroon River mouth, and that’s about 25 miles from where the ferry went down,” he said, noting that the changing tides make recovery efforts especially difficult.
Mohamed said the Guyana Coast Guard has maintained a continuous presence at the scene while private fishermen and volunteers have also been assisting authorities by reporting or recovering bodies when encountered. According to him, recovered victims are immediately handed over to Coast Guard personnel in accordance with established procedures.
In a subsequent written update issued from the scene, Mohamed said he remained approximately 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast and 42 miles from the mouth of the Demerara River, where the vessel sank. He commended diver Mr. Archer for his work during the operation and praised Coast Guard ranks who have secured the site since the previous evening. He added that teams were awaiting the arrival of a French diving delegation expected to assist with underwater search and recovery efforts.
During the interview, Mohamed repeated calls for Public Works Minister Juan Edghill to resign, arguing that the tragedy demands political accountability. He alleged that survivors and relatives consistently reported concerns that the approximately 90-year-old vessel was overloaded before it capsized, though those claims remain subject to official investigation.
The Opposition Leader also questioned the accuracy of official passenger figures, saying conflicting numbers have been released regarding the vessel’s manifest.
“We don’t even know how many passengers were on board. One time we heard 116 plus 17. Now they’re giving us different figures. We don’t know how many persons were on the vessel to begin with,” Mohamed said.
He further alleged that the vessel had long-standing maintenance issues and claimed a contract valued at more than $120 million for repairs had been discussed earlier this year but had not been completed before the disaster. Mohamed argued that the aging ferry should have been in dry dock rather than operating passenger service.
Responding to government statements urging against politicising the tragedy, Mohamed defended his criticism, saying the focus should remain on accountability for the loss of life.
“It’s nothing about politicizing. It’s human lives lost,” he said, recalling that one of the first victims he personally helped recover was a two-year-old child. He described the disaster as one of Guyana’s worst national tragedies in decades and argued that an investigation alone would not satisfy public demands for accountability.
Asked about the anticipated arrival of French divers, Mohamed said no international dive team had yet reached the wreck site at the time of the interview, although weather conditions remained favourable for search operations.
Mohamed ended the interview by appealing for national unity and continued prayers for the families of the victims, expressing hope that all those still missing would ultimately be recovered.
