By Wendy Anders

A group of retired university professors from the country’s National University (UNA) were en route to Guatuso in northern Costa Rica when their bus plunged off a cliff in Cinchona, north of Heredia, yesterday, reported local police.

The bus was transporting 13 men and 18 women on a trip to deliver foodstuffs to the Maleku indigenous community in Guatuso, San Carlos which has been recently affected by flooding, reported the UNA press office.

The accident occurred just before 9:00 in the morning near the El Angel marmelade factory.

Hospitals are holding a special blood drive to tend to the gravely injured victims who remain hospitalized. Especially needed is type O positive blood, reported health officials.

The large quantity of emergency victims caused hospitals to coordinate extensively to provide the best care possible, reported the health ministry.

None of the 12 deceased have been officially identified so far.

The Costa Rican government decreed three days of national mourning in memory of the victims.

A list of those traveling on the bus was reported on the CRHoy.com news site as:

Ligia Marcela Alvarez Brenes

Sonia Rodriguez Araya

Jeannette Arce Flores

Carmen Arce Hernández

Miriam Carranza Soto

Castro Chacon German

Calderon Juan Manuel Cordero

Briceno Maria del Carmen Cubillo

Edwin Espinoza Araya

Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez

Jesus Hernandez Benavides

Lorena Sanchez Hernandez

Sandoval Hernandez Lidieth

Roxana Lopez Saborio

Delia Luz Marín Chaves

Alexander Vargas Mora

Calixto Muñoz Alfaro

Ana Maria Murillo Víquez

Pashov Blagobesta

Patterson Williams Myrna

Gonzalo Hernandez Peñaranda

Javier Vargas Porras

Ramirez Avendaño Leda

Ramirez Castro Jose Angel

Ismael Varela Zárate

Jorge Villalobos Balmaceda

Villalobos Cortés Zulay

Villalobos Gonzalez Claribeth

Patricia Vindas González

Zamora Brenes Nidia

Ricardo Zamora