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Death toll rises to 16 from Costa Rica quake
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 11 - 01 - 2009


Searchers found
more bodies Saturday in a restaurant buried under fallen
earth, bringing the death toll to 16 as helicopters ferried
residents and tourists out of a quake-stricken region in
Costa Rica, AP quoted sources of the Red Cross as saying.
The 6.1-magnitude earthquake caused a hillside to collapse
near the town of Vara Blanca de Alajuela on Thursday,
damaging 6 miles (10 kms) of road and sending rocks and
earth tumbling down on passing cars. Many of the dead were
trapped inside vehicles, while others were found inside a
small restaurant, Red Cross officials said.
Rescuers were using trained dogs and heavy machinery to
search through the rubble, but Red Cross spokesman Freddy
Roman said hope of finding survivors was diminishing.
Roman said three bodies were found inside the restaurant
on Saturday, raising the confirmed death toll to 16.
Witnesses said at least 3 other people had been seen at the
eatery before the quake hit this area north of Costa Rica's
capital, San Juan.
«This is very hard. God has taken him away, but we hope
to get his body back to give him a Christian burial,» said
Jose Zamora, whose brother Francisco is believed to be
among those killed at the restaurant.
One of the bodies recovered was tentatively identified as
an 11-year-old boy.
Trained dogs signaled that more bodies were still buried
underneath the landslide, including four people presumably
inside their vehicles.
Juan Bautista Quesada, 66, was at his house in Vara Blanca
when the quake struck, collapsing the roof.
«The house was swinging like a hammock,» Quesada said.
«It wasn't until it was over that I saw there was blood on
the floor ... and I saw I had wounds on my head and
shoulder from where the roof had fallen on me.»
Argentine tourist Silvana Lopez was driving in a rented
car with her family when the quake struck.
«Suddenly the road disappeared in front of us and behind
us,» Lopez said. She took refuge along with several other
people in a nearby field where they spent the night.
The National Emergency Committee said helicopters had
flown at least 250 people, including tourists, the wounded
and the elderly, out of the region _ a mountainous area
with few access roads, most of which were blocked by
landslides.
Roman said about 45 people were still isolated in cut-off
areas, and 1,378 people had sought refuge in shelters.
The U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday's temblor was
centered 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of San Jose,
near the Poas Volcano National Park.


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