Death toll from Guyana ferry disaster at 41

Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips said Tuesday that the death toll from the MV Barima ferry capsizing has risen to 41, while search and recovery operations intensify.

Phillips confirmed that 77 survivors have been rescued since the vessel overturned late Saturday. Sixteen vessels are deployed in the wreckage area, with the search zone expanded by an additional 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers) to include Waini Point.

The 131-foot (40-meter) vessel, built in 1939, foundered near Iron Punt during a voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.