Georgetown, Guyana—The MV Barima vanished beneath the surface of the Atlantic late Saturday night. The passenger vessel was en route to Port Kaituma when it issued a distress call shortly before midnight. Coast guard units scrambled as the ship’s radar signature disappeared near the mouth of the Pomeroon River. Sixty-seven survivors were pulled from the water by morning, but sixty-six others remain missing.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the total lack of natural light. Search teams relied on acoustic scanners and sound to locate those clinging to debris. The water was choppy, making it nearly impossible for small vessels to navigate the wreckage site. Commercial ships in the area joined the operation, using high-intensity floodlights to scan the dark surf.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill confirmed that the manifest accounted for 133 people on board. He stated that early responses were slowed by a lack of specialized search equipment. The government has now engaged private sector oil companies to assist with deep-water scanning technology. Divers were deployed at first light to attempt entry into the partially submerged hull.

Survivors described a frantic scramble for life jackets when the ship began listing heavily to one side. The vessel reportedly reported a weight capacity issue just before the incident. The captain and several crew members were taken into police custody as part of a formal criminal investigation. Government officials refused to elaborate on the specific cause of the capsize.

Families gathered at the Umana Yana center in Georgetown, waiting for news of the missing. The mood is tense, with frustration growing over the slow release of information from the Maritime Administration Department. Many of the missing are children and their parents who were traveling to the north-west district. The government has promised full transparency as the investigation proceeds.

The search radius has been expanded to four hundred square kilometers. Strong currents are expected to have pushed any survivors or victims significantly far from the point of impact. Maritime authorities have issued a notice to all vessels in the region to remain on high alert for debris. Air assets are expected to assist once the morning fog clears.

Political leaders have called for a complete audit of the ferry fleet. This incident raises serious concerns about the safety and maintenance of aging maritime infrastructure in the region. The government declared a period of mourning while the search continues. Resources are being diverted from all possible sectors to maintain the twenty-four-hour rescue operation.

The mission has shifted from active rescue to a recovery operation. The chances of finding survivors in the dark, cold waters diminish with every passing hour. Officials are currently preparing to announce the next phase of the investigation. The search crews remain on station, waiting for the tide to turn.