The Guyana parliament was told Monday that one of the 77 persons rescued following the July 18 MV Barima tragedy that left 73 people dead and several others missing and presumed dead, has died as legislators clashed verbally as to who should take the blame for the country’s worst ever maritime disaster.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips in a prepared statement to the National Assembly said that the search and rescue/recovery operations are continuing as he gave legislators ‘an account concerning the tragedy’ as well as the support provided to the affected families.
He said two days after the incident, where it is believed that the 87-year-old vessel had capsized after being hit by a huge wave, ‘the MV Barima was found resting on the seabed approximately 31 nautical miles northwest of the point of uninitialed distress communicated by the Air Traffic Control tower’.