Pope Francis sent his condolences and solidarity to the relatives of a group of migrants who died in a bus accident killing at least 39 people in Panama, in the district of Gualaca, on February 15, 2023. The crash is reported to be the worst accident involving migrants in Panama’s history.
In a message signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and addressed to Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán, bishop of the Panamenian diocese of David, the Pope expresses his “deep sadness.”
Echoing “the pain of the families and friends of the deceased” and sending his prayers “for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Pope sent his apostolic blessing “as a sign of hope in the risen Lord”
International sources explain that the bus was carrying 66 passengers bound for the United States, and it plunged into a ravine for an unknown reason. Officials did not disclose the victims’ nationalities.
A note published by BBC explains that “the bus was heading north and was near the Costa Rica border when the driver reportedly tried to turn round, having mistakenly passed a migrant hostel.”
Thousands of migrants risk their lives crossing Panama’s swampy Darién Gap.
Last year, those numbers surged to a record 248,000 migrants, most of them Venezuelans. Cuban and Haitian migrants also take the long overland route.
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