Final answer:
During the French construction attempt, over 20,000 workers died, and an additional 5,600 lives were lost when the United States completed the Panama Canal, totaling 25,000 to 30,000 deaths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The construction of the Panama Canal is remembered as one of the most formidable engineering feats in history, but it came with a high human cost. During the French construction attempt from 1881 to 1894, over 20,000 workers died, primarily due to tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever, as well as the challenging working conditions. Later, when the United States took over the project in 1904, an additional 5,600 lives were lost by the time it was completed in 1914. Combining these figures, the total deaths linked to the construction of the Panama Canal would range between 25,000 and 30,000 people.