A ferry carrying 116 passengers has sunk off the coast of Guyana with 53 people so far rescued, local authorities have said.

Axar.az reports,citing BBC, the MV Barima capsized near Iron Punt, on its route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.

A distress call was received at 23:01 local time (03:01 +1 BST), triggering an urgent search operation involving state and private boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said in a statement posted on social media.

The state of the operation is currently unclear and it is not known whether authorities expect to rescue the remaining passengers.

The MV Barima was built in 1939 and is 40m (131ft) long, according to a listing on VesselFinder.

Edghill said it was fitted with 250 life jackets, two rigid life crafts and six inflatable life crafts.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips is said to be leading the government response.