33 people were killed in a collision between a bus and a minibus in Panama on Wednesday. The bus was carrying dozens of migrants and was on its way to the United States.

Samira Gozaine, the head of the Panamanian immigration service, has announced this.

The accident took place in Gualaca, Chiriquí province (about 400 kilometres from the capital, ed.). Earlier, President Laurentino Cortizo had tweeted that there were 15 victims before it was clear that the death toll would rise even further.

The vehicle was carrying migrants from Darién province, on the border with Colombia, to Costa Rica, where they would continue their journey to the US. 66 people were on the bus, including the driver and his assistant, said the head of the traffic police Emiliano Otero. For the time being, nothing is known about the victims’ nationalities.

The number of migrants trying to reach the US via Panama will double by 2022. At that time, it concerned about 248,000 people, the majority of whom were Venezuelans, according to the Panamanian immigration authorities.