At least 39 people, including several Cubans and Colombians, died this Wednesday in Panama in the accident of a bus carrying migrants who had crossed the Darien jungle, on the border with Colombia.
“Preliminary information (…) indicates that 39 people, unfortunately, have lost their lives,” the National Migration Service said in a statement. Chiriquí’s senior prosecutor, Melissa Navarro, stated at a press conference that the public ministry “cannot detail” yet the number of deaths. Unicef indicated in a note sent to AFP that “at least three children” died in the accident.
The vehicle transported foreigners from the Darién, the dangerous jungle that borders Colombia, hHe went to a shelter in the town of Gualaca, in the province of Chiriquí, about 400 km west of Panama City, on the border with Costa Rica.
The vehicle had an accident very close to the shelter, after almost 14 hours of travel to cover nearly 700 kilometers. According to the deputy director of Migration, María Isabel Saravia, the accident left 28 injured. She also explained that 66 migrants were traveling on the bus, including 20 minors, along with two drivers, one of whom died.
No details on the identity of the deceased have yet been released. According to the available information, The transport included 66 migrants in transit who were in shelters in the province of Darién, on the border with Colombia.
(We recommend reading: Panama asks that the Darién National Park not be called a ‘route’).
The Government of Panama provides all medical attention to the injured
Panama, where 248,284 irregular migrants traveling to North America arrived last year after crossing the Darién jungle, an unprecedented number, receives these travelers at stations where they take their biometric data and offer them health and food assistance, after which they are transferred by bus to the border with Costa Rica so that they can continue on their way.
“We had several years that these accidents with buses and fatalities did not occur“, the Deputy Commissioner for Traffic of the National Police, Emiliano Otero, told ‘EFE’.
The Minister of Public Security, Juan Pino, confirmed that both Panamanian nationals and “migrants who were in transit” throughout the country. Pino regretted this “intentional act, which nobody wants” to happen, and stated that we must wait for the results of the investigations to know precisely what caused the accident.
(Do not stop reading: The walkers of the Darién, between hope and tragedy).
Victims from Cuba and Colombia
The Panamanian authorities have not specified the nationality of the deceased or the injured. However, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez reported on Twitter that “Cuban citizens” were among the dead.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that “Preliminarily people of Colombian nationality have been reported among the victims.” For its part, Ecuador stated in a note that “7 injured Ecuadorians have been confirmed.”
“This news is unfortunate for Panama and for the region. The National Government extends its condolences to the families of those killed in this accident and reiterates its commitment to continue providing humanitarian aid and decent conditions to deal with irregular migration,” the president of Panama tweeted. Panama, Laurentino Cortizo.
“Preliminary reports show that the driver passed the entrance to the shelter and that when he turned around he had this accident, the causes of which are under investigation.“, the director of Migration, Samira Gozaine, told reporters.
EFE AND AFP
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