Last Updated on Monday, 20 July 2026, 22:53 by Writer
Prime Minister Mark Phillips on Monday said 69 persons have now been rescued, and 27 bodies recovered.
The 27 include four children.
He said 83 others were “deemed missing and still to be found”, based on a review of footage as the boat was loading. “I’m confident that we have narrowed the figure down to 179,” he said.
Mr Phillips said based on that review, 179 persons including a crew of 18 were aboard the vessel when it went down Saturday night.
He said divers from the military in French Guiana arrived in Guyana. They would be joined by military divers of Trinidad and Tobago.
The prime minister said the area of search has been expanded from 400 square kilometres to 1,070 square kilometres.
Photographs of each body would be mounted at several centre’s rather than open a fridge or go into a body bag.
Mr Phillips, a retired Brigadier and former Head of the Guyana Defence Force, said personal protective equipment was distributed and used.
In terms of the use of DNA to match bodies with survivors, he said “We have that as part of our plans. So far, we have not had to use it,” he said.
The prime minister did not say directly under which law the captain and crew member would be charged, given that they were tested positive for marijuana use.
He said all the relevant issues would be the subject of an investigation.
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