At least 4 migrants dead after boat capsizes off Panamanian coast

At least four migrants have been reported dead and two more remain missing after a boat carrying over two dozen capsized off Panama's eastern coast.

The ministry said that at this time of year, bad weather is often a factor in such accidents, especially involving clandestine migrant smuggling attempts. Video from the government showed the open boat upside down on the rocky coast beside the migrants' bodies.

Crossing the Darien Gap, a jungle-covered land area between Colombia and Panama, used to take a week or more on foot. More established trails and more informal infrastructure supporting migrants have reduced the trek to about three days for many. More than 500,000 migrants crossed the gap last year, more than double the number in the previous year.