Rescue And Recovery
Efforts Suspended
The search for the seven
still missing and the
recovery of the bodies
buried under the earth
and mud in the
earthquake of January 8
has to come to an end.
Xinia Guerrero of the
Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE)
explained that the
geologists and
volcanologists of the
Universidad de Costa
Rica (UCR) consider the
area around the
epicentre to be of high
risk to rescue workers.
As such the CNE and the
OIJ will be removing all
its personnel from the
affected area and the
sub-director del OIJ,
Francisco Segura, will
be holding a meeting
with the family members
of the still missing to
explain the decision.
The meeting is scheduled
for between 9am and 11am
this morning in the
local school located in
San Miguel de Sarapiquí,
Alajuela.
Authorities feel that
the recovery of any more
bodies is extremely
unlikely and the poor
weather conditions -
rain and fog - have
grounded helicopters and
placed rescue workers in
the face of possible
mudslides and continuing
tremors from
aftershocks.
During the past 11 days
work crews were able to
partially re-open road
passage to Cinchona, the
area nearest the
epicentre, allowing some
people to return to the
area to look for their
lost relatives and
collect items from their
homes.
The 6.2 earthquake of
January 8 completely
destroyed Cinchona and
caused devastation
throughout the area,
leaving more than 2.000
people to live in
shelters, many losing
their homes completely.
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