Brazilian woman dies in fiery boat collision

Last Updated on Friday, 26 September 2014, 21:33 by GxMedia

A Brazilian woman was killed in a boat collision and fire on the Mazaruni area Friday afternoon, according to well-placed sources.

Police later issued a statement, saying that investigations have so far revealed that the boats, captained by Eugene Charles, 58 years, of Parika, East Bank Essequibo and Clifton Melville, 19 years, of  Fifth Avenue, Bartica, were proceeding along the Mazaruni River with passengers when they collided, causing Jifele Brasilaira Vierra De Sales- Lie Akigia, a Brazilian national, 31 years, to fall overboard and disappeared under the water.

As a result, a search was conducted and the body was found at 3 PM and taken to the Bartica Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. 

At the time of the accident, she and other persons were transporting cargo to the Puruni.

MARAD said that about 1 PM two vessels collided in the Mazaruni River, in the vicinity of an area known as All-boys.

One of the vessels is an aluminum hull passenger vessel and is propelled by two water jets. The other is a wooden passenger/cargo boat and was being propelled by a 200 Horsepower outboard engine.

MARAD said that as a result of the collision, a fire ensued and quickly engulfed the wooden vessel causing a female passenger to be burned extensively, and subsequently perished.

A team of MARD investigators has been dispatched to the area to begin probing the accident.