Sunday 11 January 2009, San José, Costa
Rica
Earthquake Tragedy
Now Has A Face
Costa Rica Digs For
Victims of Earthquake
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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.
While rescue workers
search the remote areas
for more bodies, the
Organismo de
Investigación Judicial (OIJ)
has begun the process of
identification and
contacting the families.
The OIJ says at least 64
people are on their list
of missing.
Rescue workers on Friday
night slept in the now
ghost town of La
Cinchona to begin the
rescue and recovery work
at daylight. In some
cases family and friends
of the disappeared are
working along side Cruz
Roja (Red Cross) workers
in search of bodies and
possibly survivors.
Making the recovery
efforts more difficult
is the impossibility of
access. Many of the
roads in the area are no
longer. La Cinchona is
one of many communities
completely cut off and
access is only by
helicopters.
Aiding rescue efforts
are five military
helicopters - four from
the U.S. Air Force based
in Honduras and one from
the Colombian military.
Dressed in combat gear
the soldiers staffing
the huger whirly birds
are now dedicating their
efforts to rescue rather
than military conflict.
The group of 34 includes
officials and medical
personnel operating from
a temporary station in
Río Cuarto de Grecia
using Black Hauw and
Chinook helicopters.
Making things worse is
the danger of
aftershocks and working
in hazardous conditions,
like handing from
precipices with 300
metres or more drops.
The OIJ has set up a
temporary morge in San
Miguel de Sarapiquí.
A total of 2.023 people
are being housed in 23
temporary shelters
located in Carrizal de
Alajuela, Sabanilla, San
Isidro, Río Cuarto de
Grecia, Poás de
Alajuela, Heredia centro,
Santa Barbara and
Sarapiquí de Heredia.
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