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COSTA RICA - The Earthquake of January
8, 2009 |
Saturday 17 January 2009
Cinchona Is Inhabitable,
Experts Say
Ignacio Chaves,
geologist for the
Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE), could
not be more explicit "in
my opinion, in this
place no one can not
return".
Western Union Forgives
Fees For Transfers To
Earthquake Victims
To help victims of the
January 8 devastating
earthquke, Western Union
Foundation has donated
us$50.000 to the Cruz
Roja (Red Cross).
Friday 16 January 2009
Eight Days Later The Tremors Won't Let
Up
Rescue efforts have been
hampered by tremors in
the earthquake area of
last Thursday, January
8. The fear heightened
by the fact that the
tremors are from other
faults in the area and
not the one that caused
the 6.2 quake on the
8th.
Weather Grounding Rescue
Efforts
Poor weather conditions
have grounded the rescue
and recovery efforts of
last Thursday's killer
earthquake. The constant
rain in the area of
Sarapiquí has meant that
the US and Colombian
helicopters have not
been able to fly to the
affected area, like
Cinchona, where the only
access in and out is by
air.
Legislators To Take
World Bank Loan For
Earthquake Relief
The country's
legislators are taking
advantage of the us$65
million dollar loan by
the World Bank to
rebuild the destruction
of the devastating
January 8 earthquake,
with the approval of the
loan in first reading.
Thursday 15 January
2009
500 New Homes Need To Be
Built Following
Earthquake, Says Housing
Minister
The Comisión Nacional de
Emergencia (CNE) said
Wednesday that there are
812 homes damaged by
last Thursday's
earthquake, 360 of which
are totally destroyed.
The Ministerio de
Vivienda (Housing
Ministry) estimates that
it will be necessary to
build some 500 new homes
in the earthquake
affected area.
Experts Say Poás Volcano
Activity Normal
Since last Thursday's
killer earthquake,
experts detected an
increased activity in
the Poás volcano, as
smoke began emanating
from the crater.
Wednesday 14 January
2009
An
Eerie Silence After The
Quake
Driving to the Poás
volcano from Heredia
seems normal until you
get within kilometres of
Vara Blanca, when you
start to see the real
effects of Thursday's
quake and are overcome
by the eerie silence
coming from communities
like Los Cartagos which
has been completed
abandoned.
Housing Bonds To Be Used
To Reconstruct Homes
Destroyed In Earthquake
The ministra de Salud,
María Luisa Ávila, who
is coordinating the
Consejo del Sector
Social del Gobierno,
said yesterday that the
¢3 billon colones that
was earmarked for "bonos
de vivienda" (housing
bonds) will be used to
help families left
homeless after
Thursday's killer quake.
Death Toll In Quake
Rises to 21
The official death toll
from Costa Rica's
magnitude-6.2 earthquake
on Thursday has risen to
21 after more bodies
were found.
Thousands On Alert For
Aftershocks
The big quake occurred
at 1:21pm last Thursday.
However, the ground had
not yet settled and
series of aftershocks,
some strong enough to
instill panic have been
occurring, even though
experts say that it is
almost impossible for
another 6.2 quake to hit
on the same fault.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Quake Damage Estimated
at us$100 Million,
Aftershocks Continue
The material losses in
Thursday's 6.2
earthquake near Vara
Blanca in the province
of Alajuela could reach
us$100 million dollars
according to preliminary
calculations at Casa
Presidencial and the
Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE).
Government Decrees
Five Days Of National Mourning
Costa Rica president,
Oscar Arias, yesterday
signed a declaration for
five days of "duelo
nacaional" - national
mourning - from
yesterday to January 16.
The executive order also
calls for a national
emergency for those cantones in the
provinces of Alajuela
and Heredia that
suffered major losses in
Thursday's earthquake.
Palmares & Santa Cruz
Festivities Postponed
Following the
declaration of a "duelo
nacional" - national
mourning - for the
deaths and suffering of
Thursday's earthquake,
the Asociación Cívica
Palmareña (ACP) has
decided to postpone the
start of the annual
festivities to Wednesday
January 21 and not
tomorrow as had been
programmed.
AIR Analyzes Costa Rica
Quake
According to catastrophe
risk modeling firm AIR
Worldwide the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS)
estimated that the
earthquake, which struck
Costa Rica last week,
measured 6.2. The
epicentre was located
about 35 km (22 miles)
northwest of San José,
at an estimated depth of
4.5 km . The quake was
felt throughout the
country, and as far away
as parts of neighboring
Nicaragua. Since
Thursday, the main event
has been followed by
over 1,200 minor
aftershocks.
Where To Donate For
Earthquake Victims
The Cruz Roja
Costarricense - Red
Cross - (2542-5000), as
well as the
Ombudswoman's Office
(2248-2374) and the
Comision Nacional de
Emergencias - CNE-
(2210-2828) are co-ordinating
donations for Thursday's
earthquake victims.
ICE Threatens Blackouts
Resulting From
Earthquake
Before Thursday's
devastating killer
earthquake, the
Instituto Costarricense
de Electricidad (ICE)
had threatened with
blackouts for lack of
funds to buy fuel to run
its thermal plants,
demanding from the
regulating authority an
increase in electrical
rates to meet the needs
it faces in 2009.
Animals In Quake Zone
Need Help As Well
More than 1.000 pets,
between dogs and cats,
who lived in the
earthquake disaster area
in Alajuela and Heredia,
near the epicentre, were
also affected.
Monday 12 January 2009
Earthquake Rescue
Efforts Continue,
Unlikely More Survivors
Will Be Found
With the help of US and
Colombian soldiers, the
Cruz Roja Costarricense
(Costa Rican Red Cross)
and hundreds of
volunteers have been
busy searching and
recovering bodies from
the area struck by
Thursday's killer
earthquake.
40.000 Still Without
Running Water
Thursday's earthquake
ahs left many
communities without
water and electricity
and the risk of an
epidemic. Areas like Los
Cartagos, Varablanca,
Fraijanes, Colonia Toro,
Cinchona, as well as
many other around the
Poás have yet to receive
potable water.
Rescuer
Workers Menaced By
Mudslides After Quake
Rescue workers with dogs
were threatened by
mudslides on Sunday as
they searched among
collapsed houses for
survivors of Thursday's
6.2 earthquake.
Sunday 11 January 2009
Earthquake Tragedy Now
Has A Face
The tragedy from
Thursday's devastating
6.2 earthquake now has a
face. Men, women and
children that died under
the tons of earth from
the mountainsides and
debris from houses
reduced to rubble by the
tremors.
Costa Rica Digs For
Victims of Earthquake
Rescue workers have
begun to dig into the
collapsed hillsides of
the area of Vara Blanca
searching for bodies and
possible survivors now
that the rescue effort
of the trapped has
completed.
What Caused Thursday's
Devastating Earthquake?
A land fault located
along the Sarapiquí
river that runs between
the Poás and Barva
volcanoes is the cause
of Thursday's 6.2 quake
in Cinchona de Sarapiquí,
according to an
explanation by Eliécer
Duarte, an earthquake
specialist for the
Observatorio
Vulcanológico y
Sismológico de Costa
Rica (Ovsicori).
Saturday 10 January 2009
Death Toll Rises To
30,
100 More Still
Missing
The official death toll
in Costa Rica's
strongest earthquake in
decades has risen to 30,
with a hundred more
missing, according to
the Cruz Roja
Costarricense (Costa
Rican Red cross), who is
heading the rescue and
recovery efforts after
the 6.2 quake hit on
Thursday at 1:21pm.
Tourists Evacuated After
Fatal Quake
Rescue helicopters hired
by the Comision Nacional
de Emergencias (CNE) -
national emergency
commission - picked up
stranded tourists on
Friday from the
picturesque volcanic
area of Costa Rica.
You Too Can Help
Financial institutions
and some retailers have
joined in to offer help
for the victims and
affected by Thurday's
6.2 fatal earthquake.
Cinchona Completely
Disappears Off The Map
The area known as La
Cinchona de Sarapiquí,
in Alajuela, has been
completely destroyed by
the forces of nature,
practically erasing it
off the map.
Friday 09 January 2009
13 Dead, Many More
Missing In Afternoon 6.2
Earthquake
In what is being called
the worst earthquake in
the are in the last 150
years has claimed the
lives of 13 people, a
number of them children
trapped under the mud
and earth from the
tremors, and dozens more
reported missing.
40
Seconds of Terror
At 1:21pm Costa Rican
time the earth shook and
those near Vara Blanca,
Fraijanes and La
Cinchona de Sarapiquí
lived through a terror
that lasted 40 seconds,
but seemed an eternity.
A dozen or more where
not so lucky, perishing
in the landslides and
mud that swallowed
entire sections of roads
through the area.
Tourism Minister Assures
Safety of Visitors
Trapped In Earthquake
Zone
The Instituto
Costariccense de Turismo
(ICT) - Costa Rican
tourism board - assured
that it will aid
tourists trapped in
Thursday's earthquake in
the area of Vara Blanca
and visiting the La Paz
waterfalls.
Panic in San José
Thousands of people in
buildings small and
large in San José took
the streets yesterday
afternoon when the city
began shaking and
rolling, the effects of
the 6.2 earthquake in
nearby Alajuela.
San Jose Airport Open
Many visitors to Inside
Costa Rica wrote to ask
how yesterday's
earthquake would affect
airport operations in
and out Costa Rica.
The Juan Santamaria
International airport is
open and has not been
affected by the 6.2
quake.
Gallery of Fotos
A collection of fotos
from various news
sources of the aftermath
of the 6.2 earthquake on
Thursday. |
