Around 100 people are feared dead following the capsizing of a ferry off Guyana, as families await news of missing relatives and authorities face growing questions over how the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades occurred.

Officials said 76 of the roughly 179 people believed to have been aboard the MV Barima survived. Fifty-three bodies had been recovered as divers continued searching for those still missing.

Families gathered in the northern town of Charity, hoping for information about relatives who had not been accounted for.

Samantha Ramin said she had lost two of her three children in the disaster. The body of her young daughter had been recovered, but her baby son remained missing.

The 87-year-old MV Barima departed Georgetown for Port Kaituma on Saturday before taking on water and capsizing off the Essequibo coast. Although the vessel’s passenger manifest listed 133 people, authorities later estimated that as many as 179 people may have been aboard.

Questions have emerged over the ferry’s condition, the number of people on board and the amount of cargo it was carrying. Some survivors alleged that the vessel was heavily overloaded with passengers and cargo, including engines, vehicles, fuel containers and commercial goods.

One survivor said the ferry was more crowded than during previous journeys and described cargo being tightly packed below deck.

Other survivors alleged that the vessel experienced engine problems shortly after leaving port. They said the crew attempted to make repairs while at sea instead of returning to shore and that concerns about water entering the ferry were reportedly dismissed.

The time taken to rescue passengers has also become a source of anger. Some survivors said they spent hours in the water before being rescued.

Government officials have disputed some of the allegations, saying the ferry was operating below its capacity limits for both passengers and cargo. However, authorities acknowledged that conflicting accounts meant it was too early to determine exactly what happened.

The head of Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department said a full investigation was necessary to establish how the ferry had been loaded and whether supervisory officials had properly carried out their duties.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the government had nothing to hide and promised that anyone found responsible for negligence or criminal wrongdoing would face legal consequences.

Police detained the rescued captain and at least one other crew member as part of the investigation. Both reportedly tested positive for marijuana, according to the information released following the disaster.

The age of the ferry has also come under scrutiny. Officials said Guyana had purchased a replacement vessel from India for $12.7 million, but the new ferry had not yet entered service because a special pier at Port Kaituma was still awaiting completion.

The MV Barima underwent major repairs in 2024, while additional maintenance had been scheduled for October.

As rescue and recovery operations continued, families remained gathered near the disaster area, waiting for confirmation about missing relatives. Authorities said the investigation would need to establish the circumstances surrounding the sinking, including the vessel’s loading, mechanical condition, crew actions and emergency response.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera Staff and Associated Press, published July 23, 2026.