Guyana reports ferry disaster death toll rises to 41

Search continues for dozens more people unaccounted for after the MV Barima capsized on Saturday night.Guyana’s authorities have raised the death toll from last weekend’s ferry accident off the coast to at least 41 people.Officials said on Tuesday that 14 additional bodies had been recovered by search teams, adding to the 27 reported dead the previous day after the MV Barima capsized at sea on Saturday night.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Italy recovers 10 bodies as boat with nearly 60 on board capsizes off Maltalist 2 of 3Indian tourists killed after speedboat capsizes in Vietnamlist 3 of 3More than 500 feared dead after reports of boats capsizing off Myanmarend of listSeventy-seven people have been reported rescued. Search crews continue looking for dozens who remain unaccounted for.The vessel was carrying a total of 179 people when it flipped over, even though the passenger manifest only listed 133, officials have said.Guyana’s Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill has described the accident as the country’s worst maritime disaster in decades, saying authorities are doing everything possible to locate those missing.The government said 16 vessels have been deployed to the wreckage area, where French and local divers are leading operations.Ships docked at the port in Georgetown, Guyana [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]The ferry was travelling from the capital, Georgetown, to Port Kaituma in Guyana’s inland Essequibo region when it capsized.Authorities have pointed to the incomplete passenger list and potential drug use among crew members as factors that potentially contributed to the disaster.Police have announced that the ferry’s captain and at least one other crew member were taken into custody after testing positive for marijuana.“We have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work. And for us to have positive tests from the captain, this is serious,” Edghill said.