Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips has condemned what he described as attempts to exploit the MV Barima tragedy for political attention and social media engagement, urging the public to respect the ongoing search and recovery operation and the dignity of victims.



In a statement, the Prime Minister dismissed suggestions that individuals outside the official response were leading recovery efforts.



"Let us be clear: Azzrudin is not ahead of the Government's search and rescue operations," Phillips sai

-To assist with MV Barima victim identification



President Dr. Irfaan Ali has approved the transportation of 35 relatives from Region One to assist authorities with the identification of victims recovered from the MV Barima tragedy.



Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips announced the initiative during Monday evening press briefing, explaining that the President made the decision after meeting with grieving families during visits to Port Kaituma and Mabaruma.



The Prime Minister said 13 relatives from Po

The government has confirmed that no additional arrests have been made in connection with the MV Barima tragedy.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Tuesday said the captain and one crew member who were previously taken into custody remain detained, with statements taken from them. He added that counselling support has been offered to those affected, including staff members of the Transport and Harbours Department who have been impacted by the loss of colleagues and the ongoing recovery ef

Government has significantly expanded its temporary morgue capacity in Region Two as recovery efforts continue following the MV Barima tragedy, with four refrigerated containers now deployed to support the identification and dignified handling of victims.



Providing an update on Tuesday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips said the additional refrigerated storage was installed overnight at Suddie to ensure authorities are prepared as the search, rescue and recovery operation progresses.



He explained

Prime Minister, retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, has confirmed that 53 bodies have been recovered following the MV Barima tragedy, while the number of rescued passengers has been verified at 76 as search and recovery operations continue.

During Tuesday evening’s press briefing, the Prime Minister said the figures were finalised following an ongoing verification exercise involving rescue teams and responding agencies.

With no survivors found during continued s

The Government says there is no evidence at this stage to conclude that the MV Barima was overloaded at the time of the tragedy.

Responding to questions from the media, Director General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Stephen Thomas explained that the vessel is certified to carry up to 394 passengers and 126 tonnes of cargo, depending on its loading configuration.

He added that preliminary assessments indicate the vessel's load line—the internationally recognised indicator used to d