Costa Rica's Public Works and Transportation Minister Karla Gonzalez resigned on Monday after being criticized for failing to assume responsibility for last week's accident in which five people were killed.
A bus fell into the Tarcoles River, some 60 km east of the capital, last Thursday after a bridge over the river collapsed, causing the deaths of five passengers and the injuries of 32 others.
The bridge, built during 1920-1924, has not been repaired for years despite its shaky condition.
Gonzalez said that she recognized the state responsibility for guaranteeing the security of its citizens and hoped that her resignation would mitigate the outrage of the public over the accident.
Gonzalez added that all parties involved must take their responsibilities in this painful drama
and draw a lesson from it.