PANAMA CITY: A boat carrying migrants capsized Wednesday off Panama's Caribbean coast, authorities said, leaving an unknown number dead and once again underscoring the perils of the journey north toward the United States.
The shipwreck occurred at dawn near the notorious jungles of the Darien Gap, through which a record number of migrants crossed last year from South America.
Patrols were sent to search for victims, possible survivors and people traffickers after "information was received about the discovery of bodies of lifeless migrants," border police said.
The TVN television network reported that at least four people had died out of roughly 25 passengers, but there has been no official confirmation of the toll.
"For now we don't have any information about survivors" or the victims' nationalities, a National Border Service spokeswoman told AFP.
"We're also not sure how many people were on the boat because it's an illegal activity, human trafficking," she added.
According to the National Border Service, the waters where the boat capsized were particularly difficult to navigate due to waves, currents and winds.
Thousands of South American migrants, mainly Venezuelans, pass through Panama on the dangerous journey north toward the US border.
Most enter the country through the Darien jungle on foot from Colombia, and then continue through the rest of Central America and Mexico.
Around 520,000 migrants entered Panama in 2023 through the Darien Gap -- a new record -- including roughly 120,000 minors, according to the Panamanian government.
Most of those braving the crossing, which can take up to six days, were fleeing economic misery in Venezuela.
Panama authorities in September announced a series of measures to try and contain the surge in migration, including an increase in deportations of people who enter the country illegally.
Migrants face rivers, wild animals, and violent criminal gangs in the jungle.