A passenger ferry with 116 people aboard sank off the coast of Guyana in South America late Saturday night, leaving many passengers still missing as rescue teams worked to find survivors.
An air traffic control tower received a distress call at 11:01 p.m. Saturday from the vessel, identified as the MV Barima, according to local reports. The call set off an immediate search and rescue response in the area.
The ferry, which carried both 116 passengers and 17 crew members, went down in the North Atlantic coast waters while en route to the village of Port Kaituma. The point of departure for the vessel was not immediately known.
As of Sunday morning, 67 people had been rescued, among them 15 children. The fate of the remaining passengers and crew members had not yet been determined.
Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips addressed reporters Sunday morning, saying the rescue effort would press forward. “The operation will continue until all efforts have been exhausted,” he said.
Guyana’s Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, announced that emergency family assistance centers have been set up to give families access to information and support during the crisis.
