The death toll from the sinking of the state-owned MV Barima ferry off Guyana's coast has risen to 72, with search and recovery operations continuing in the Atlantic Ocean, authorities said.

Multinational rescue teams recovered additional bodies from the partially submerged vessel, while efforts to raise the ferry remain underway. Of the estimated 179 people believed to have been on board, 76 have been rescued alive.

 The government fears that around 100 people may have died, which would make the incident the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana's history.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips said search operations had been expanded and pledged that every available resource would be used until all those aboard had been accounted for. He also expressed the government's support for the victims' families and said recovery efforts would continue in a safe and dignified manner.

The 87-year-old MV Barima departed Georgetown for Port Kaituma on Saturday before taking on water and capsizing in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo coast.

Divers from Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries are assisting in efforts to recover the vessel. Investigators plan to examine the ferry once it is brought to the surface to determine the cause of the disaster.

Police have launched a criminal investigation into the incident. Three people have been detained so far, including the ferry's captain, a crew member who allegedly tested positive for cannabis use, and the maritime official responsible for supervising the vessel's loading.

The government maintains that the ferry was operating within its certified passenger and cargo limits, but several survivors have claimed the vessel was overloaded.

Although the official manifest listed 116 passengers and 17 crew members, authorities estimate that about 179 people were actually on board.The disaster has also sparked criticism over the pace of the rescue response, with some survivors saying they were left waiting for help for hours.

Officials said the findings of the criminal investigation will later be reviewed by an independent commission of inquiry. They added that MV Barima underwent a major overhaul in 2024 and was scheduled for additional maintenance in October.

The government defended the continued operation of the 87-year-old ferry, noting that a replacement vessel had been purchased from India but cannot yet enter service because a new dock at Port Kaituma has not been completed. (ILKHA)