Guyana's Government to Consider Option of Making Area of Boating Tragedy a Memorial Site

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana government will consider making the area where the MV Barima sank on July 18, killing at more than 100 people into a memorial, should the relatives of the families of those who have died agree to that option, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips speaking at news conference on Tuesday evening (CMC Photo)Phillips, speaking at a news conference here, said it unlikely that any person would now be rescued alive from the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana’s history and that of the 73 bodies so far recovered, five have not yet been positively identified.

The vessel had a manifest of  116 passengers and 17 crew members, but the authorities believe that as many as 179 people were on board the MV Barima as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini  administrative region of the country.

“The Ministry of Health has appealed to members of the public who may have relevant information to assist in the identification of these individuals so that they may be released to their relatives for internment.

“Every effort continues to be made to complete the identification process with utmost care and dignity. All bodies that were positively identified thus far have been released to their families for burial,” Prime Minister Phillips said, adding that the government again remains unwavering in its support for the families who have lost loved ones and for all those affected by this tragedy”.

He said search and recovery efforts will continue “as necessary as long as every reasonable measure can be taken” and that the authorities have already received offers from reputable international salvage companies to try and recover the 87-year-old vessel.

“Well, there are several offers being submitted to the government …for salvaging the vessel,” Prime Minister Phillips said, noting that “in addition to those offers to salvage the vessels, it is the wishes of the family that are important at this stage, because if there is any indication from the family that they prefer to have the area be deemed a memorial site, then we go with that option”.

Prime Minister Phillips reiterated that regarding the salvaging the vessel, ”if the family feels that we should go ahead and salvage the vessel, the government is likely to honour the wishes of the family.

“You have two options here. As I said, you have offers to salvage the vessel, right. And then there’s this whole issue about the area being deemed a memorial site and a memorial being constructed. But the family’s wishes is what is important now,” he added.

Asked whether the option of making the area a memorial in honour of those who have died would affect the proposed Commission of Inquiry into the incident, Prime Minister Phillips said that the divers had suspended their operations in terms of search and recovery.

“It leaves us with two options now. It’s either the vessel remain in its current position as is, or we entertain one of the offers to salvage it. And as I said, the family wishes will guide us as to whichever option.

“We want to get to the truth, but we want to also follow the wishes of the family. A Commission of Inquiry, if we are unable to salvage the vessel, a Commission of Inquiry will still be done. That is the reality.”

Prime Minister Phillips dismissed suggestions that the Irfaan Ali government is “trying to hide something” by wanting the memorial site to be established, saying “government has nothing to hide.

“Government has nothing to hide. I can tell you up front, we have nothing to hide,” he insisted, noting that President Ali is in Mabaruma meeting with family members.

“You’re aware that there is a document out, if the family member signs saying that, look, they want to go ahead with the salvage, or they want to move this memorial, we’ll have to honour their wishes,” Prime Minister Phillips said, denying that the government is trying to influence the process.

“Government is not trying to convince anybody to say anything,” he said, adding “ whether we salvage a vessel or we go with the construction of a memorial site, it has to be done in keeping with the wishes of the family”.