HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali has vowed that the search for those missing from the MV Barima will continue until every possible avenue has been exhausted, declaring that “every minute matters” as families wait desperately for news.
In a televised address Monday night, Ali said all available resources were being mobilised to locate and account for everyone who was aboard the ferry.
“Every minute matters. Every life matters. Every possible resource is being mobilised in pursuit of this mission,” he said.
The president spoke after visiting Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, where he met survivors, relatives of the missing and injured passengers receiving treatment at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital.
Ali described the encounters as deeply emotional. He said he listened to survivors recount what they endured and heard from relatives facing the agony of not knowing what happened to their loved ones.
“I listened to their stories, shared in their pain and anxiety, and assured them that every practical measure would be taken to provide the support and assistance they need at this time,” he said.
The president pledged that the government would stand with affected families throughout the search and beyond the immediate emergency.
“Our priority is to protect every life that can still be saved, to support those who have endured unimaginable trauma and loss, to comfort grieving families and to account for every person who remains unaccounted for,” Ali said.
The search has involved the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, aircraft, government and privately owned vessels, divers, fishermen, medical teams and specialised scanning equipment.
Regional and international partners have also offered assistance.
“Every available asset is being deployed and every agency is working around the clock,” Ali said. “We will continue this effort with determination and resolve until every possible avenue has been exhausted.”
The operation has been complicated by the discovery that the passenger manifest was inaccurate.
Authorities initially relied on a list containing 116 passengers and 17 crew members. They later found that dozens of survivors had not been recorded, leaving the government unable to determine conclusively how many people were aboard when the vessel capsized.
The cargo manifest is also being rechecked after the passenger-list irregularities raised concerns about the reliability of records from the ferry’s departure.
Ali committed his administration to a full, thorough and independent investigation.
“The families affected and the people of Guyana deserve answers,” he said. “They deserve to know precisely what transpired and whether any failures contributed to this heartbreaking event.”
He promised that the inquiry would pursue the truth with transparency, impartiality and accountability.
Police have secured surveillance footage from the Kingston Goods Wharf, where the MV Barima was loaded before departing Georgetown for Port Kaituma.
The management team responsible for loading, dispatching and supervising the vessel has been suspended to protect evidence while investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The investigation is expected to review the passenger and cargo manifests, loading procedures, maintenance records, vessel stability, maritime-safety compliance and the conduct of the captain, crew and shore-based officials.
Ali praised members of the joint services, rescue personnel, fishermen, volunteers, regional authorities, religious organisations and private businesses involved in the response.
He appealed for national unity and urged Guyanese to support grieving families rather than allow political or other divisions to overshadow the emergency.
The president acknowledged that the country must also prepare for difficult news as the operation continues.
“Brace yourself for the coming days,” he warned. “It is going to be difficult for all of us.”
Ali said he would shortly announce the form of national mourning to be observed in honour of those who died.
For families awaiting word, the search remains a race against time. The president offered no deadline for when it would end, only a commitment that the government would continue while any possibility remained.
“Every minute matters,” he repeated. “Every life matters.”
