Footage shows treacherous journey across 'Hell on Earth' Darien Gap that was once thought impossible to cross
The Darien Gap is one of the most dangerous places in the entire world and has been described as 'hell on Earth' for anyone who treks along its roads, and footage shows exactly how deadly the passage is, considering it was once thought to be impossible to cross.
Planet Earth is home to some extremely dangerous locations, with deadly ghost towns where simply breathing can kill you and the world's longest road that travels though areas you will definitely want to avoid.
The Darién Gap has garnered a reputation as once of the most dangerous locations worldwide though, and was once considered impossible for anyone to cross due to the risks that any travelers would face along the way.
Now, however, it is a popular route for migrants, and has been described as the bottleneck of the Americas due to the fact it's the only area that connects South America to Central America via Colombia and Panama.
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It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of migrants have traveled across the Darién Gap in the past 15 years, subjecting themselves to the extreme dangers that occur both naturally and unnaturally within the area.
Not only is the Darién Gap rife with deadly wildlife, life-threatening tropical diseases, and extreme weather, it's also an extremely popular spot for criminals to prey on those passing through due to non-existent law enforcement.
It's essentially a neo-wild west where crime runs rampant, and the lack of medical services can turn even minor injuries into fatal ones which is why it's garnered such a horrible reputation.
Both Colombia and Panama have been accused of ignoring human rights abuses in the area, with arguments that neither country is doing enough to protect migrants making the passage between the two countries. However, they have both appealed for help in managing the severe number of travelers.
YouTuber Timmy Karter took it upon himself to attempt the journey, disguising himself as a Russian immigrant, and it truly shows how horrific it can be for the countless migrants that make the same journey every single day.
Experiencing painful accidents and horrific conditions, Karter outlines the horrors of the journey so far:
"It was supposed to be only three days, now it's day six. I sprained my ankle, and one mistake can cost my life here. If one of us gets hurt, there's nothing he can do, there's nothing I can do to help him. There's no laws here, we're in the middle of the jungle illegally. No one will help you."
On top of this, he details having already seen six dead bodies on his travels, which outline just a small fraction of the larger reality of the Darién Gap's dangers.