The search and recovery operation following the MV Barima tragedy intensified on Tuesday, with authorities confirming that 41 bodies have now been recovered while 77 people have been rescued.

The Government said 16 vessels remain deployed around the wreckage site as search teams continue working to locate those still unaccounted for.

The designated search area has also been expanded by an additional 400 square miles, stretching as far as Waini Point, in an effort to increase the chances of finding any remaining victims. Authorities said 14 bodies were recovered between first light and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, with the day’s first recovery made at 10:15 a.m.

French divers, working alongside local teams, continue underwater search and recovery operations at the site where the vessel sank.

Meanwhile, the identification process is ongoing at Suddie Hospital, where relatives are assisting authorities in identifying recovered bodies. The government has also instructed that all bodies recovered during the operation be transferred immediately to the Guyana Police Force’s designated facility at the Charity River Dam to ensure a coordinated identification and documentation process.

The operation remains one of the largest maritime search and recovery efforts ever mounted in Guyana, with emergency agencies continuing to deploy all available resources as families anxiously await news of their loved ones.