The captain and two senior crew members of a passenger ferry that capsized off the coast of Guyana have been charged with murder after the disaster killed 73 people and left another 30 missing.
Captain Kevin Price, 40, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, and Cargo Superintendent Delon Granderson, 33, appeared in court in Georgetown on Tuesday, July 28, more than a week after the MV Barima sank.
The three men were not required to enter pleas and were remanded to prison. The case was adjourned until August 3, when they are expected to appear before a court in Guyana’s Essequibo region.
It was not immediately clear whether the defendants had obtained attorneys, and their representatives could not be reached for comment.
The state-operated MV Barima capsized on July 18 while traveling from Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, to the northwestern community of Port Kaituma.
The 87-year-old ferry was carrying an estimated 179 passengers and crew members when it sank, despite significantly fewer people being recorded on the official passenger manifest.
Authorities said 76 people were rescued. Another rescued passenger later died, bringing the confirmed death toll to 73 as recovery efforts continued. Thirty people were still unaccounted for.
The tragedy is believed to be the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana’s history.
The criminal charges follow alarming revelations about what may have happened aboard the ferry before it went down.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the captain and another crew member tested positive for marijuana after the sinking. Officials also discovered that many passengers aboard the vessel had not been listed on the official manifest.
Survivors have reportedly claimed the ferry appeared overcrowded and that water was entering the vessel before it capsized. Investigators are examining whether the crew ignored warning signs, whether cargo was stored properly and whether professional negligence contributed to the catastrophe.
Despite those concerns, government officials said the aging ferry had been declared seaworthy and had remained current with its maintenance schedule.
The wreckage is reportedly resting approximately 50 feet beneath the water and may be too difficult to salvage.
President Irfaan Ali has appointed a five-member commission of legal and maritime experts to conduct an independent investigation into the sinking.
The inquiry will examine possible overcrowding, passenger records, safety procedures, cargo handling, emergency responses, maintenance practices and any misconduct by officials or crew members.
The disaster has also triggered intense political pressure.
Opposition lawmakers have demanded the resignations of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar, arguing that senior officials must be held responsible for failures within the government-operated ferry system.
The ferry service is operated by Guyana’s Transport and Harbours Department under the Ministry of Public Works.
As grieving families wait for answers and crews continue searching for the missing, the murder charges mark a dramatic escalation in the investigation into how an ordinary passenger journey became a national catastrophe.