Panamanian authorities confirmed that of the more than 60 passengers, 33 died and 23 were injured
The accident happened after the driver lost control of the vehicle and fell off the hilly road. (Photo: Telemeter)
More than 30 undocumented migrants died in a traffic accident in western Panama’s Chiriquí province this Wednesday after the bus they were traveling in fell off a cliff.
Panamanian authorities confirmed that of the more than 60 passengers in the Los Planes de Gualaca area, 33 died and 23 were injured after the driver lost control of the vehicle and fell off the mountainous road.
In this sense, the director of the migration service, Samira Gozaine, pointed out that “the bus driver passed the entrance and turned to return to the shelter, at that moment he fell on a slope”.
Meanwhile, members of the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) and Public Ministry (MP) arrived in Gualaca to clarify the incident, which was reported around 04:30 local time.
Public Safety Minister Juan Pino said: “We are waiting for the results to see what happened. For us, that marks what the traffic always tells us, the responsibility that the person behind the wheel has.”
For his part, the President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, published that “It is with great sadness that I receive the news of the road accident in Gualaca, Chiriquí, in which migrants lost their lives while being transported by Darién to the emergency shelter in that place.” .
For his part, the President added that “the government of Panama is providing all medical care to the wounded who have been transferred to the Rafael Hernández Hospital in the city of David.”
(With information from TeleSUR)
