At least three people were killed and 25 needed medical help in landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Cambronero area of western Costa Rica, the Red Cross said.
About 100 rescue teams were deployed at the scene, coming from different regions of the country, as well as search and rescue units and a dog unit.
According to digital newspaper crhoy.com, a double-decker bus carrying more than 60 people and at least two other vehicles fell from an embankment to a 60- to 75-meter cliff.
A bus with at least 70 people on board has been swept into a ravine by a landslide in Cambronero, Costa Rica. At least one person has died and dozens are trapped.
— adn40 (@adn40) September 17, 2022
The event happened in the afternoon of September 17, amid heavy rains that hit most of the country.
The National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergencies Care (CNE) announced an orange alert throughout the national territory, except for the Caribbean, due to the presence of heavy rainfall and high soil saturation, due to the accumulated effect of several days’ rainfall.
During the visit to one of the affected areas, the president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, requested “immediate measures to protect the lives of all affected persons and to seek solutions as soon as possible for the citizens affected by this emergency”. The Presidential House.
“It is necessary to evacuate. Send everything you have to evacuate the people,” Chaves demanded after learning of the situation.
The Presidency conveyed its condolences to the relatives and friends of those killed by the landslide in Cambronero and expressed its full support for the injured.
President Chaves tweeted that he is postponing his departure for New York, where he is traveling to attend the UN General Assembly.
“Tomorrow [Sept.18] I will follow the emergency caused by the rains of the last few hours. If necessary, I will make more visits to the victims,” he said.
