– 300-plus passengers stranded for 30 hoursThe MV Kimbia which operates the Port Kaituma, Essequibo route,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, broke down Thursday evening, forcing authorities to tow it back to the city and a family to cancel a planned funeral.Chaos broke out at the Kingston stelling last evening shortly after 21:00hrs as angry family members and others gathered at gates demanding entry to the facility.There were allowed in after officials of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) were unable to control the mob.Passengers said that they were on the waters some 30-odd hours in hell-like conditions.The ferry encountered problems around 20:00hrs Thursday night with the tug only arriving yesterday morning around 09:00hrs.There were children sleeping on the floor and some very upset passengers who said that they were not fed anything and had to spend their own money to buy meals.T&HD workers were distributing meals to the passengers last night shortly after the vessel was brought to Kingston by a tug,Wholesale NFL China Jerseys, the Buckhall Viking 3.According to Lloyd Solomon, the body of his murdered son, Rawl Mentore,http://www.soccerpro.us.com/Argentina/, who was killed in the interior recently, was on the boat.“We had 11 family members and now I got to mek arrangements for the funeral home to pick him up back.”Officials yesterday confirmed that the ferry, the MVKimbia, developed steering and mechanical problems in the vicinity of Anna Regina, Essequibo coast.Reports revealed that the vessel was set to leave on Thursday at 11:00hrs but instead left three hours later.Relatives of the over 300 passengers disclosed that? there were large quantities of goods, including perishables on board, and the delay has now caused much discomfort and loss in revenue.There are now calls for government to seriously consider making another vessel available to the North West District because of the demand.Additionally, travelers who have been waiting for days will now have to consider making alternative arrangements to reach their destinations.There was a bus taking passengers to the various bus parks last nights, free of cost.The MV Kimbia travels to the North West fortnightly, operating between Georgetown and Port Kaituma with stops in between.The vessel, which is capable of ferrying up to 300 passengers and cargo, has been plying the North West route for almost two decades.It is seen as a crucial link to residents in the North West District.The MV Kimbia was acquired by the Guyana government in the early 1950s to boost the services of the Transport and Harbours Department.According to an official at Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), an arm of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport,wholesale nfl jerseys, the Kimbia reportedly became inoperable while in the vicinity of Anna Regina on the Essequibo Cost.It was scheduled to arrive at the Kingston wharf last evening.Earlier this year, Kevin Trim, General Manager of the T&HD,Anthony Steen Dolphins Jersey, disclosed that a number of the government-owned ferries were more than 70-years-old.He pointed out that the MV Kimbia and the MV Northcote were released from the Ferguson Brothers Shipyard in Glasgow in the year 1937.He also mentioned that the extensive repairs would entail the vessels requiring crucial engine parts, pump systems and even work towards modifying local hydraulic systems to fit the vessels.Officials have said that the department is facing huge challenges every year juggling its aging fleet of vehicles between service and constant repairs.Additionally, the department has seen a serious drop in revenues as a result of the discontinuation of ferry service across the Berbice River with the advent of the Berbice Bridge.