Community to hold candlelight vigil for Guyana boating victims

The Guyanese community in the BVI is inviting residents to join a candlelight vigil to honour the victims of the tragic sinking of the MV Barima ferry off the coast of Guyana earlier this month.

The vigil will be held on Wednesday, July 29, at 6 pm at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park. Organisers say the event will serve as “a community vigil of remembrance and hope,” bringing people together to mourn those who lost their lives while offering support to grieving families.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a candle as the community unites in “love, faith and unity.” The tragedy has deeply affected Guyanese at home and abroad, with reports indicating that approximately 100 people are feared to have died in what is considered one of the country’s worst maritime disasters in recent history.

Meanwhile, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has extended condolences on behalf of the government and people of the Virgin Islands to those affected by recent disasters across the Caribbean, including Guyana.

The Premier sent well wishes to St Lucia, where four people were killed and 14 others injured after two passenger vessels collided off the island’s west coast on July 18. He also mentioned Venezuela, where two powerful earthquakes struck on June 24, causing widespread devastation, with thousands reported dead and injured and many others still unaccounted for.

“The Virgin Islands is a part of the wider Caribbean family,” Dr Wheatley told the House of Assembly. “Additionally, the BVI is a very diverse community that includes nationals from these countries who live, work and contribute meaningfully to our Virgin Islands community. And in their grief, we stand with them.”

The Premier also noted that the maritime tragedies in Guyana and St Lucia should remind Caribbean nations of “the preciousness of life at sea, and the importance of vigilance, safety, and care in all marine activity.”

“To the families who are mourning, to those who are injured or otherwise affected, we extend our deepest condolences and prayers,” he said. “May the souls of those who have passed rest in peace, and may their families and communities find comfort in this difficult time.”