A cargo vessel sunk early yesterday morning in the Berbice River with early reports indicating that the incident may have been the result of heavy winds and rain. There were no injuries or fatalities.
A Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA) press release said that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) in the Ministry of Public Works and Communi-cations is investigating the circumstances under which the MV Telltale No. 1 sunk yesterday around 4.30 am.Telltale No 1, built in 1978 in the Netherlands, is a privately owned vessel and was transporting fertilizer for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) at a weight of 1,552 tonnes at the time of the incident. Minister of Public Works and Communication Robeson Benn told GINA that reports indicated that the vessel sunk around 4.30 am with 11 crewmen aboard. Workers at the bauxite company operating close to where the vessel sunk rendered assistance rescuing all the crewmen who were taken to safety. Benn told Stabroek News last evening that investigations were ongoing, as MARAD officials were dispatched earlier in the day. “My information is that bad weather consisting of gusting winds and rain led to the sinking of the vessel,” he said. He surmised that the vessel’s cargo shifted across the boat and that as it was going under the crew attempted to run it aground off the river channel. The minister stated that in his estimation they were successful as the vessel was not blocking traffic along the river.
