Murder charges filed against ferry captain and crew after 70+ deaths in Guyana capsizing

Three crew members of the MV Barima face murder charges after the state ferry capsized on July 18, killing over 70 people. Thirty passengers remain missing.

Murder charges for captain and crew after Guyana's worst maritime disaster

Guyana police have charged the captain and two crew members of the state ferry MV Barima with murder following a capsizing that killed more than 70 people, tdtnews.com reports. Thirty passengers are still unaccounted for.

The three accused — Captain Kevin Price, 40, chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and cargo superintendent Delon Granderson, 33 — appeared in court on Tuesday morning. No pleas were entered and no attorneys were present on their behalf. A second hearing has been scheduled for August 3 at a court in the western Essequibo region, near the wreck site.

Authorities believe 179 people were aboard when the ferry departed Georgetown on July 18. The vessel capsized in Atlantic waters before reaching its destination, Port Kaituma, a northern town near the Venezuelan border. It is the worst maritime disaster ever recorded in Guyana.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips told Parliament on Monday that 77 people were rescued, though one of those survivors has since died. During the session, opposition lawmakers heckled legislators and pounded desks, calling for the resignation of Works Minister Juan Edghill and Junior Minister Indar Persaud, whom they held responsible for the disaster.

The government announced on Sunday the formation of a five-person commission composed of international legal and marine experts to investigate the sinking of the 87-year-old vessel. Some survivors told reporters the ferry was leaking and overcrowded with both passengers and cargo — allegations the commission has been asked to examine.

Officials said the MV Barima remained in service because construction of a new pier at Port Kaituma — needed to accommodate a replacement vessel, a $12.7 million ship acquired from India — was not yet complete. Phillips said it is likely the wreck, which now lies roughly 15 metres underwater, will not be salvaged.

Source: Google News GY — Crime