The death toll from the capsizing of the MV Barima ferry off the coast of Guyana has risen to 53, Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed on Tuesday, revising the figure for the second time in one day. Speaking at a press conference, Phillips said 76 people had been rescued as of 6 p.m. local time, down from an earlier government count of 77. The ferry, travelling from the capital Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the inland Essequibo region, capsized on Saturday night. A distress call was received about eight hours after the vessel began its journey in mid-afternoon.

Confusion over the number of people on board has persisted since the accident. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said the official passenger manifest listed 133 people, but Phillips stated on Monday that he was confident 179 people had been on board when the ferry capsized. Survivor accounts describe the vessel sinking rapidly. Helena Moonsammy, who lost four grandchildren, told reporters the ship “sank in minutes, in seconds.” Another survivor, Alicia Atkinson, said she lost hold of her three-year-old daughter in the water and spent about eight hours floating on debris.

Two crew members aboard the aging ferry tested positive for marijuana after the incident, Phillips told reporters on Sunday, adding that an investigation was underway. The captain and at least one other crew member remain in custody, according to local reports. The MV Barima, built in 1939 according to the shipping website VesselFinder, had been reconditioned in 2024 and was scheduled for further repairs in October. The search area has been expanded, with 16 vessels deployed and French military divers from neighbouring French Guiana assisting in the operation.

Guyana, a small English-speaking country at the northeast corner of South America, is locked in a territorial dispute with neighbouring Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region, where Port Kaituma is located. The route to the town, situated in dense rainforest, requires boats to travel by sea before entering a river. The government has suspended all personnel responsible for the operation and boarding of the MV Barima amid suspicions that additional passengers and cargo were allowed on board without being officially registered. The investigation into the cause of the disaster continues.