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  • 7 hours ago
A Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard vessel is now at the site where the MV Barima sank off Guyana to assist in what that government is still hoping would be more than a recovery exercise .

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00During his latest update on the MV Barima tragedy, Ghana's Prime Minister Mark Phillips confirmed the arrival of a Trinidad
00:07and Tobago Coast Guard vessel, which was dispatched on Monday with a team of 20 personnel, including seven additional divers
00:15to provide assistance.
00:16Maritime assets and personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Brazilian Navy have arrived at the incident
00:26site and joined ongoing search, rescue, and recovery operations.
00:35Their teams will support diving operations and other specialized recovery activities.
00:45A total of 19 vessels and three aircraft are now engaged in the operations.
00:53Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that an aircraft was deployed and has already
00:58completed three flights since Monday, supporting search and rescue operations.
01:04On Wednesday evening, Ghana's Prime Minister also gave an update on the recovery efforts.
01:09Since the previous update, three additional bodies have been recovered, bringing the total number of bodies recovered today to five.
01:23The total number of bodies recovered since the commencement of search and rescue operation now stands at 65, of which
01:3544 have been positively identified by family members.
01:42To date, 23 of those identified have been released to their families.
01:49On Wednesday morning, Guyana's President, Dr. Mohamed Ofran Ali, gave further details as he spoke with families who continue to
01:57wait for news of their loved ones who remain missing four days after the tragic sinking of the MV Barima.
02:03The second aspect of the operation will be launching of 1,500 tons of buoyancy airbags.
02:13The divers are going to try to get down to the vessel to tie these buoyancy airbags onto the vessel
02:20to see if it can lift the vessel, because we want to maximize every potential and make it maximum recovery
02:27as possible.
02:28Prime Minister Phillips said that there has been no change in the number of passengers and crew rescued, which still
02:34stands at 76.
02:36Ghana's Prime Minister said the captain of the vessel and at least one other person have been detained.
02:42It's the intention of the government to have the commission of inquiry mounted, right, as soon as possible.
02:51After the commission of inquiry, then the issues of compensation and so will be determined.
02:59Prime Minister Phillips said the focus for Ghana's government now is not on compensation.
03:04Recovering bodies and financing, financing the burial and the funeral rights and, you know, whatever assistance the families need now.
03:18That is not deemed compensation.
03:20That is government's responsibility in times like this.
03:25Ghana is observing three days of national mourning.
03:29Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:35Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:35Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:35Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:35Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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