Two American and one Swiss tourists were killed in a collision between a minibus and a truck in the province of Puntarenas in western Costa Rica. The rescue work near the town of Miramar turned out to be extremely difficult, according to local media reports. A large number of rescue workers and heavy machinery were in action.
The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday. The minibus, whose Costa Rican driver was also killed, was on its way to the tourist region of Guanacaste on the Pacific coast. According to the police, the vehicle collided with the truck while overtaking, fell into a ditch and crashed into a tree.
Driver dies in the hospital
The two Americans († 45, † 49) and the Swiss († 25) * were dead on the spot. Three other tourists, whose nationality was not specified, are in critical condition in a hospital in Puntarenas. The driver († 60) of the minibus also died in the hospital.
The highway on which the accident occurred connects the tourist Pacific provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas. The section was closed for about seven hours due to rescue operations. (SDA / kes)
* Names known to the editors