A government ferry carrying 133 passengers and crew capsized in Guyana with 67 people rescued so far, authorities said Sunday, as a massive search and rescue operation tried to find the dozens of people still missing.

The MV Barima was sailing from the capital, Georgetown, along the North Atlantic coast to Port Kaituma, said Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who is leading the government’s response.

Phillips said the group that had been rescued included 41 men, 11 women and 15 children. He did not say whether authorities feared the missing passengers were dead or not. Helicopters, planes and fishing vessels are scanning a 1,000-square-mile area in search efforts.

The MV Barima departed shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday and ran into trouble shortly before midnight, officials said. A distress call was received at 11:01 p.m. (0301 GMT), which prompted a search and rescue operation involving state and private boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said on Facebook.

Authorities said the vessel, which makes weekly trips to the largely Indigenous communities near Venezuela, capsized near the Pomeroon River.

Edghill said the vessel was fitted with 250 life jackets, two rigid life rafts and six inflatable life rafts. He denied claims that it could have capsized because it was overloaded with passengers or cargo.

"It had to do with the tide,” the minister said, referencing statements from rescued passengers.

Source: AP

--Agencies