Talk on exhibit ‘Murdering Jesus' Image'
Artwork by Franklin Zúñiga, 10 a.m., Roberto Sasso Gallery, Veritas University, Zapote. Exhibit is open through Oct. 26 at the University.

30 Hours of Fun for Children
Some Costa Rican Humorists will be telling their jokes for 30 hours in a row to bennefit Fundación Debra and Asociación Obras del Espiritu Santo, which work in favor of sick kids or in social risk, Oct. 23, 6 a.m.- Oct. 24, noon, Mega Super, Parque de la Paz. Info: 2255-0821.

Special Dance Show for Elders
Seniors can enjoy the event for free Oct. 23, Melico Salazar.

350 World Festival
To mark International Day of Climate Action, concerts by the bands Mal País, Gandhi, Por Partes, and recycling campaign, University of Costa Rica (UCR), San Pedro. 

Pejibaye National Festival
Featuring: Oct. 23, 8 p.m., dance. Oct. 24, 1 p.m., contests; 7 p.m., Tico bullfight; 8 p.m., dance. Oct. 25, 9 a.m., mountain bike competition; noon, concert by Calle 8; 2 p.m., presentation of Colombian bullfighter “Yuli La Cordobesa”; 7 p.m., Tico bullfight; 8 p.m., dance.

United Nations Day
Free concerts by Baleroom, Sonámbulo, Cantoamérica, Amigos Íntimos, Max Goldemberg, Olman Briceño, Fidel Gamboa, Jaime Gamboa and Esteban Monge, Oct. 24, 1 p.m., CENAC.

Endurance del Atlántico 2009 and Expo Fair
Horse Competitions and Expo Fair including cultural shows, horse riding and more, Oct. 23-25, Hacienda Milla 25 Ruta 32 (San José-Limón), de Siquirres 25 km towards Limón.

Hike and Race Against Breast Cancer
Hike 3 km., race 10 km., Oct. 25, 8 a.m., start line Centro Colón, Paseo Colón, finish line Plaza de la Democracia, end Av. 2, registration at Runners Heredia, 2262- 3314, 600 m. north of Universidad Nacional; Runners Pavas, 2290-7212, opposite to CEMACO; Runners Curridabat, 2280-5713, 100 m. east of Plaza del Sol, www.globalsportxgroup.com.

Concert celebrating 20th Anniversary of Fall of the Berlin Wall
Including a concert by the San José National Band performing a repertoire of German and Latin American Works, Oct. 25, 11 a.m., National Museum, Ca. 17, Av. Ctrl./2.

35 Years Dancing
Danza UNA celebrates its 30 th anniversary, Oct. 23 and 24, 8 p.m.; Oct. 25, 5 p.m., Teatro de la Danza, CENAC, 2277 3393, www.danza.una.ac.cr.

“Sancho Panza Gobernador”
Puppet show, through Oct. 25, Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m., Melico Salazar Theater, Sala 2, 2257-6005.

See this week's Tico Times for a full calendar of events.

By Sean O'Hare
Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.net

Five people died and two more were seriously injured Thursday after the bridge on which their bus was traveling collapsed.

The accident happened at 6:25 a.m. when the driver of the bus traveling from Turrubares to Orotina ignored the weight restriction sign and crossed the narrow wooden suspension bridge, known as the Puente Angosto de Turrabares, according to Transport Minister Karla González.

As the bus was halfway across the 50-meter, one-lane bridge, one of the principal steel cables supporting the wooden structure snapped, causing the bus to fall six meters into the Río Tárcoles.

González admitted that the bridge was “seriously fatigued” and that a 75-meter iron reinforcement had been bought in 2002 for the bridge, but engineers had not gotten around to attaching it.

“The bridge was seriously fatigued, but it collapsed due to too much weight,” she said.

“We all have to accept responsibility for this tragedy and for the fact that the bridge was neglected, but at the same time, we did put up signs to warn drivers not to cross carrying more than four tones in weight and we can not be expected to put a policeman on the bridge to ensure drivers obey the signs.”

Red Cross spokesman Mario Víquez, said that four people died at the scene, a fifth person died en route to the hospital in Orotina.

Víquez said a 6-year-old girl was airlifted to the Children's Hospital in San José, approximately 90 kilometers from the scene of the accident. She was in a critical condition Thursday night.

Another 15 people were taken to hospitals in Alajuela and San José where they were treated for minor injuries and shock.

“Fortunately the bus landed directly on its wheels,” Víquez said, “or else many more people could have died.”

Rescue services used a small boat to free the trapped passengers in an operation that took five hours and involved ambulances from Orotina, Puriscal, Alajuela, San José and Jacó.

The Turrubares bus makes the journey twice daily across the bridge, which is believed to have been built between 1920 and 1924. According to the daily La Nación, the poor condition of the bridge had been reported to the authorities by residents of the zone on several occasions.

The bridge is commonly referred to as a hammock bridge because of the way it sways when vehicles cross it.

Hammock bridges are still common in rural areas of Costa Rica.

A fundraising, 30-hour comedy and concerts for children will begin Friday at Parque de la Paz, just east of San José.

The marathon 30 Hours of Fun for Children, an annual charity event, will raise money for the Costa Rica Debra Foundation and Works of the Holy Spirit Association.

The event, which starts at 6 a.m. today and finishes Saturday at noon, will be broadcast live on Omega Estéreo 105.1FM.

A variety of national music groups are expected to perform.

The Costa Rica Debra Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children suffering from severe skin disorders.

Works of the Holy Spirit Association helps those marginalized from society as a result of extreme poverty or alcohol and/or drug dependency.

Costa Rica fell eight slots, landing behind Ghana, Uruguay and Cyprus, in a press freedom evaluation conducted this year.

According to Reporters Without Borders, which has compiled the list since 2002, the country's archaic legislation and outdated defamation practices caused it to sink in the 2009 survey.

Combine a standstill attitude to media treatment with breakthroughs in other countries, and it's easy to see why Costa Rica fell in the rankings, said Benoît Hervieu, Americas correspondent with Reporters Without Borders.

“In reality, 10 points isn't much. But the cessation of Costa Rica explains why other countries rose,” he wrote in an e-mail to The Tico Times.

Eduardo Ulibarri, president of the Institute for the Press and Freedom of Expression (IPLEX) and former editor of the daily La Nación, admits that Costa Rica is dragging its feet.

“One of the principle threats that I see is that we don't advance … we stay in the same position that we are in,” said Ulibarri, who would like to see new legislation protecting journalists in cases relating to defamation and better access to public records.

There is legislation protecting journalists from imprisonment for defamation languishing in the Legislative Assembly, but no legislator has yet made a move to revive it.

Costa Rica is ranked 30 this year, far ahead of neighboring Panama (55) and Nicaragua (76). On the extremes, Denmark came in first and the African country of Eritrea was placed last, at 175.

Countries are judged on protection given to journalists, changes in legislation and access to information, among other criteria.