The National Emergency Commission (CNE) is scrambling today to provide assistance to victims of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Vara Blanca area northwest of San José.

The efforts are aimed at residents and tourists stranded by landslides, collapsed homes and damaged roads.

CNE has opened four operation centers in Carrizal de Alajuela, Sarapiquí, San Pedro de Poás, and central Alajuela. In addition, about 15 teams have entered the affected areas by land early today to search and rescue those stranded residents.

Government helicopters were sent in yesterday afternoon and early today to evacuate injured residents and tourists.

At least five tourists have been reported injured, according to CNE.

As of this afternoon, 150 to 200 tourists have been reported to be stranded in the Vara Blanca are near the popular La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Benavides said.

“We believe about 150 tourists have left the affected area by foot,” Benavides said.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) has sent to Poasito eight high-traction vehicles and nine small buses to transport tourists who have left the danger zone on their own, Benavides said.

“We will provide them with accommodation and food once we get to them,” he said.

Benavides said several government agencies have been working since yesterday to airlift injured victims from the affected areas.

At noon today, CNE and other emergency and government agencies met to determine where more airlifts were needed. According to Benavides, two private companies were hired to continue airlifts out of the affected region. CNE hired Aerobell to aid the remaining stranded residents and tourists.

Early today, Aerobell was charging $1,600 to airlift groups of five people from Vara Blanca to the Tobías Bolaños Airport, in the western San José district of Pavas. The airport had to be closed about 2:15 p.m., after an explosion ripped through one of CNE's storage units. The company airlifted about 30 people this morning, said Melissa Cervantes, an Aerobell representative.

Benavides also said emergency agencies were waiting for U.S. military helicopters, which were scheduled to arrive this afternoon.

Thirty-one French tourists paid for private lifts from the Vara Blanca district to the Tobías Bolaños Airport today, said Natalí Vermerien, an associate of the tourists. She said her group paid Aerotour, a private company, $7, 415 for eight helicopter trips, which brought them to the airport.

Vermerien was standing at the Tobías Bolaños Airport with a sign reading “Leutard” to inform those other French tourists from her group where they could go.

As of 2 p.m., most of the tourists arriving at the Tobías Bolaños Airport had been taken there by private charters.

Benavides said he was aware of the private lifts but said the injured were considered priority.

On Thursday, there were reports of communication failures in the Sarapiquí-Tirimbina region but no reports of any major infrastructure damage were reported, said Carlos Chavarria spokesman for the Tourism Chamber, CANATUR.

CANATUR said no tourists affected in Heredia other than communication cutoffs in the area.

Today, Banco de Costa Rica said it is setting up an account for people who want to help the victims. The bank will match donations. The account number is 001-250-0 and will be active until Jan. 23.

-- Tico Times reporters Leland Baxter-Neal, Holly K. Sonneland, Vanessa I. Garnica contributed to this story.