President Dr. Irfaan Ali has declared three days of National Mourning in honour of the victims of the MV Barima tragedy.



The period of mourning will be observed from Wednesday, July 22, to Friday, July 24, 2026, as the nation continues to grieve one of Guyana's deadliest maritime disasters.



During the three-day period, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast on all Government buildings and other appropriate locations across the country.



Wednesday, July 22, has also been designated a National Day of Prayer

The search and recovery operation following the MV Barima tragedy intensified on Tuesday, with authorities confirming that 41 bodies have now been recovered while 77 people have been rescued.



The Government said 16 vessels remain deployed around the wreckage site as search teams continue working to locate those still unaccounted for.



The designated search area has also been expanded by an additional 400 square miles, stretching as far as Waini Point, in an effort to increase the chances of finding any remaini

The Government says there is no evidence at this stage to conclude that the MV Barima was overloaded at the time of the tragedy.

Responding to questions from the media, Director General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Stephen Thomas explained that the vessel is certified to carry up to 394 passengers and 126 tonnes of cargo, depending on its loading configuration.

He added that preliminary assessments indicate the vessel's load line—the internationally recognised indicator used to d

Prime Minister, retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, has confirmed that 53 bodies have been retrieved from the MV Barima mishap and that the operation at wreckage is now classified as recovery mission.

The Prime Minister said that of the bodies recovered, 26 have been identified, while 11 bodies were repatriated back to their communities.

French and local divers meanwhile continue underwater search and recovery at the wreckage. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister confirmed that no survivors have been found

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips has condemned what he described as attempts to exploit the MV Barima tragedy for political attention and social media engagement, urging the public to respect the ongoing search and recovery operation and the dignity of victims.



In a statement, the Prime Minister dismissed suggestions that individuals outside the official response were leading recovery efforts.



"Let us be clear: Azzrudin is not ahead of the Government's search and rescue operations," Phillips sai

-To assist with MV Barima victim identification



President Dr. Irfaan Ali has approved the transportation of 35 relatives from Region One to assist authorities with the identification of victims recovered from the MV Barima tragedy.



Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips announced the initiative during Monday evening press briefing, explaining that the President made the decision after meeting with grieving families during visits to Port Kaituma and Mabaruma.



The Prime Minister said 13 relatives from Po