Costa Rica: Nine dead in a traffic accident caused by bad weather

At least nine people died in Costa Rica when the bus they were carrying fell into the void due to a landslide caused by heavy rains, the Red Cross said on Sunday.

More than fifty people, including the driver, were able to be rescued, according to the same source.

The bus with about 60 people on board fell into a 75-meter-deep ravine on Saturday night in the mountainous area of ​​El Udimiento a Cabronero, about 80 kilometers west of the capital San Jose. Two other vehicles also crashed.

“Nine people without vital signs” were pulled from the ravine, the Red Cross said on Twitter. Firefighters, who were continuing the rescue operation yesterday, expressed fears that the death toll was in danger of becoming even heavier along the way.

In March 2021, a report by experts from the University of Costa Rica warned against the risk of the collapse of parts of the road network in the sector.

In areas affected by the heavy rains, hundreds of families had to be evacuated from their homes, which suffered extensive damage, according to the authorities. Strong weather events were expected to continue, Costa Rica’s national meteorological service warned on Twitter yesterday.

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chavez spoke of a “sad and worrying situation” as “many families lost all their belongings”, who declared three days of national mourning for the fatal traffic accident yesterday Sunday.

RES-EMP

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