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).
The count so far
includes the total or
partial destruction of
518 homes, 26 kilometres
of road collapsded and
eight bridges that are
no longer safe to use.
The official human count
is 17 dead and 20 still
missing. Some 100 have
suffered major injuries,
2.200 people are being
housed in 21 shelters
and a total of 128.000
people affected directly
by the earthquake.
The magnitude of the
tragedy is so great that
the government has
called a national
emergency and a period
of fives days of
national mourning,
including the
postponement of the
Palmares Festival that
was to have begun
tomorrow (January 14).
And the ground is still
moving. According to
experts of th
Observatorio
Vulcanológico y
Sismológico de Costa
Rica (OVSICORI), the
aftershocks are
continuing, some strong
enough to cause fear of
another major jolt.
Yesterday, Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias,
said that the government
will do everything to
rehabilitate,
reconstruct and restore
the infrastructure,
housing, communications,
agriculture and public
services affected by the
earthquake.
While signing the
executive order for the
national emergency,
Arias, said he welcomes
more help from friendly
countries.
Sitting beside Arias,
was the president of the
Comision Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE),
Daniel Gallardo, who
said "the country has
its doors open to anyone
who wants to help" and
thanked the support of
the United States and
Colombia, who sent
military helicopters to
help with the rescue and
recovery efforts.
Gallardo added that the
recovery efforts will
continue for at least 48
hours more, though he
was doubtful that any
survivors would be
found. |
