Ferry capsizing in Guyana: captain and crew charged with murder after 73 killed
Three men, including the ship's captain, face murder charges over the MV Barima ferry disaster that killed 73 and left 30 missing in Guyana.
Murder charges filed after Guyana ferry disaster claims 73 lives
Three men have been formally charged with murder in connection with the capsizing of the passenger ferry MV Barima, dw.com reports, following one of the worst maritime disasters in Guyana's recorded history.
The vessel sank on 18 July during a journey between the capital Georgetown and the northwestern village of Port Kaituma, close to the Venezuelan border. Although no passenger manifest existed, authorities believe the ferry was carrying approximately 179 people at the time it went down. Seventy-three people died, 30 remain missing, and 76 passengers and crew were rescued.
The ship's captain and two crew members appeared at a Georgetown courthouse on Tuesday, where they were remanded to prison. The men entered no pleas, had no legal representation at the hearing, and are due to appear before the court again on 3 August.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said all three men tested positive for marijuana following the accident. Survivors reported the vessel was heavily overcrowded and had been taking on water when it sank, despite the MV Barima holding a clean maintenance record and being certified as seaworthy.
The government established a five-person commission of international legal and maritime experts on Sunday to investigate the incident. The wreck lies on the Atlantic seabed roughly 15 metres below the surface, and Phillips has indicated it is unlikely to be salvaged.
Officials say the MV Barima remained in active service because construction of a new pier at Port Kaituma — large enough to accommodate a replacement vessel recently purchased from India — had not yet been completed.
Opposition lawmakers have called for the resignations of ministers responsible for ports and ferry services in the wake of the disaster.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)