SAN
ANTONIO DE ESCAZU, Costa Rica —A rain-sodden hillside collapsed on homes in a suburb of Costa
Rica’s capital, killing at least 17 people and leaving several dozen missing,
officials said as landslides and flooding across the nation led to a “red
alert” declaration.
Emergency crews were searching for
survivors, but so far have recovered only corpses, according to Hector Blanco,
a Red Cross spokesman. Four of the dead were children.
The landslide in San Antonio de
Escazu followed two days of heavy rains that flooded a river near the town and
sent nearly 600 people to shelters in nearby San Jose.
The area received 6.3 inches of
rain in just two hours Wednesday, according to Costa Rica’s Meteorological
Institute.
Rodrigo Araya, born and raised in
San Antonio de Escazu, about 10 miles from San Jose, said he awoke to what
sounded like a plane landing.
The heavy rain softened portions of
the Pico Blanco Mountain, popular with hikers and rock climbers, causing the
landslide.
The area is also known for mansions
owned by foreigners attracted by its walking trails and wooded areas.
The torrential rains this week also
caused the breach of a dam in Parrita, close to the Pacific coast.
At least nine bridges have
collapsed across the country, and neighbouring countries were asked for
aircraft to help reach some of the 65 communities impacted by the storm.
Some 1,500 Costa Ricans were in
shelters, schools were closed across the country, and many roads were flooded
or blocked by landslides.
The rains were forecast to continue
today, Friday.
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