A tanker barge transporting molasses sank early Monday morning off the East Coast of Demerara, leaving two crew members missing.
According to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the vessel, identified as TRADER III, sank at approximately 01:00 hrs about 9.5 nautical miles off Buxton.
At the time of the incident, the barge was engaged in transporting a cargo of molasses from Berbice to Georgetown.
MARAD said it received a distress signal reporting the sinking, prompting the immediate activation of emergency response operations to locate the missing crew members.
MARAD’s Emergency Operations Coordinator, Captain John Flores, is leading the search and rescue effort. The operation is being supported by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard along with the vessel’s owner.
