Mexico City.- At least 39 migrants died this Wednesday in the Panamanian town of Gualaca, in the western part of the country, when the bus in which they were traveling to a shelter on their way to the United States fell off a cliff, while almost twenty were injured.
Samira Gozaine, director of the National Migration Service, told reporters that the bus driver apparently missed the entrance to the shelter and as he turned to return to the road he fell down a slope, hitting another passenger bus beforehand.
This is the worst road accident involving migrants in this Central American country used for more than a decade by thousands of foreigners as a way to North America, and one of the biggest road mishaps recorded in Panama.
“This news is unfortunate for Panama and for the region,” tweeted President Laurentino Cortizo, who sent condolences to the relatives of the deceased and expressed his “commitment to continue providing humanitarian aid and decent conditions to deal with irregular migration.”
The damaged bus was one of those allowed by immigration authorities to transport migrants to the Los Planes shelter, from where they continue their route north across the border with Costa Rica. Migrants pay their transfer ticket on these buses, which are carried by two drivers and personnel from the National Immigration Service.
Panamanian authorities did not immediately identify the deceased migrants or their nationalities. The bus, which had left the Darién region, was carrying some 66 migrants, said a statement from the National Migration Service.
Almost 250,000 migrants – mostly Venezuelans – crossed Panama irregularly. El Darién is a jungle province on the border with Colombia and many of its towns are only accessible by air and sea. Due to its proximity to the Colombian country, this area is considered a drug and people trafficking route.
