Police in Guyana have filed murder charges against the captain and two crew members of a state-operated ferry that sank and killed more than 70 people, with 30 passengers still unaccounted for.
The three accused — Captain Kevin Price, 40, chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and cargo superintendent Delon Granderson, 33 — appeared before a court Tuesday morning. No pleas were entered at that time, and none of the three had legal representation present.
Officials believe approximately 179 people were on board the vessel when it left the capital, Georgetown, on July 18. The ferry capsized in the Atlantic Ocean before arriving at its intended destination, the northern town of Port Kaituma, located near Venezuela. The incident has been recorded as the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana’s history.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips addressed Parliament late Monday, stating that while 77 people had been rescued, one of those survivors has since died from their injuries.
During the prime minister’s remarks, opposition lawmakers disrupted the proceedings by pounding on desks and shouting, demanding the resignations of Works Minister Juan Edghill and Junior Minister Indar Persaud, whom they blamed for the catastrophe.
The Guyanese government announced Sunday the formation of a five-member commission composed of international experts in law and marine affairs. The commission has been tasked with investigating the sinking of the MV Barima, a vessel that was 87 years old at the time it went down.
Officials explained that the aging ferry remained in service because construction of a pier at Port Kaituma is still underway. The new pier is needed to accommodate a replacement vessel — a $12.7 million ship recently acquired from India — that was purchased to retire the MV Barima.
Several survivors who spoke to reporters described the ferry as overcrowded and leaking prior to the capsizing. The government has directed the newly formed commission to look into those claims.
Prime Minister Phillips indicated that the wreck, which now rests approximately 50 feet — or 15 meters — below the water’s surface, will likely remain there rather than be salvaged.
A follow-up court hearing has been scheduled for August 3 at a courthouse in the western Essequibo region, near where the vessel sank.
