It is estimated that about 5,600 workers died during the construction of the Panama Canal. This number includes both American and non-American workers, as the labor force consisted of many immigrants, especially from the Caribbean.
Of the workers who died, a significant portion was from the United States, as many Americans were involved in overseeing the project. The primary causes of death were diseases like yellow fever and malaria, which were rampant in the region at the time, along with accidents and harsh working conditions.
The majority of the fatalities occurred during the period when the French were attempting to build the canal (under Ferdinand de Lesseps), and later during the American efforts after the project was taken over in 1904. The U.S. government, under the leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt, eventually succeeded in completing the canal, but it came at a high human cost.
