Earthquake Leaves Shattering Losses
By María Gabriela Díaz
Tico Times Staff
mgdiaz@ticotimes.net

Saturday's earthquake left an estimated ¢1.3 billion (approximately $2.9 million) in losses, National Emergency Commission (CNE) director Luis Diego Morales told journalists at a press conference yesterday.

According to Morales, this number may increase as more damages are reported throughout the week. The quake, which measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, was felt throughout the country in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday.

He described housing as the “most sensitive,” hard-hit sector, with 132 severely damaged homes, of which 94 are located in the central Pacific area of Parrita and Quepos, in the province of Puntarenas

In total, 526 houses throughout the country have been reported as damaged, according to the Emergency Commission.

In the education sector, the National Center of School Infrastructure (CENIFE) in San José sent a brigade to evaluate damage to schools in Parrita, Quepos and the canton of Leon Cortés, where thus far seven schools have qualified as having “important damages.” While the evaluations take place, classes have been cancelled “to avoid putting students at risk in case of another earthquake,” Morales said.

Approximately 6,000 people in Parrita were affected by problems with their water supply.

“Water is vital in all emergencies,” Morales explained. “The key area here is Parrita, where there is a problem with the central pipeline, which the National Water and Sewer Service (AyA) has been working on since the weekend,” he said.

Five new reservoir tanks of 1,000 liters each and two cistern tanks were brought to Parrita to strengthen the distribution of potable water while AyA reestablishes its regular service.

Authorities said 27 stretches of roads from the metropolitan area to the Pacific coast were damaged by the quake. However, according to Morales, they are all being fixed and have normal or regulated access. The National Roadway Council (CONAVI) has taken charge of fixing national roads, while local municipalities and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) will take care of local roads.

Guillermo Arroyo, director of operations for the Costa Rican Red Cross, said the alarming information received immediately after the earthquake led the Red Cross to dispatch 97 first-aid workers and 27 rescue units to the central Pacific coast, where most stayed until Sunday afternoon, assisting with the distribution of water, housing inspections in Damas Island, off the coast of Quepos, and relocating families to the two temporary shelters set up in Pocares, approximately 5 kilometers south of Parrita, and in Playa Banderas, near Damas Island.

Arroyo estimated 58 people were temporarily lodged in Pocares, and 19 in Banderas, since heads of family remained in their homes on the island to guard their possessions, despite the efforts of the Red Cross to evacuate them from their damaged homes.

As the gravest case of physical injury in the area, Arroyo mentioned a child from Parrita whose skull was fractured by an object that fell during the earthquake.

Morales said the National Emergency Commission does not have sufficient funds to cover the costs of this emergency.

“National emergency funds are now under control of the state,” the CNE director said. “To be able to use these funds, we need to declare a state of emergency.”

The earthquake has not been declared an emergency, so for the time being, various government agencies are covering costs, according to Morales. He said so far, ¢5 million (approximately $11,112) have been allocated to repair earthquake damages.

The earthquake occurred at 2:07 a.m. on Saturday and was followed by more than 100 smaller quakes, four of which exceeded 4.0 on the Richter scale, according to a statement from the CNE.

Country's Hotels 100% Booked
For Upcoming Holiday Season

Costa Rica's 17,000 hotel rooms are completely booked for the Christmas and New Year's holidays because of a considerable increase in foreign tourism here, according to official sources.

The Costa Rican Hotel Chamber announced that visitors began making reservations two months ago and there is practically no room left in the country's 400 hotels during the entire week after Dec. 25.

The government and business sector estimate the number of visitors during 2004 will be close to 1.5 million, an increase of 25% compared to the previous year (TT, Nov. 5).

Approximately 60% of tourists in Costa Rica come from the United States , Canada and Mexico . Another 200,000 tourists came to Costa Rica from Europe in 2003, and that number is expected to rise by 30% to 250,000 in 2004.

Tourism became Costa Rica 's principal economic activity during the past decade, when the country began a successful public-relations campaign based on ecotourism, taking advantage of its many national parks and biological reserves.

According to environmental organizations, that tourism model is threatened by the increased numbers of hotel chains that have opened in recent years and specialize in mass “sun-and-sand” tourism, which they say is incompatible with conservation efforts.

--AFP