Friday 09 January 2009, San José, Costa
Rica
13 Dead, Many More
Missing In Afternoon 6.2
Earthquake
40 Seconds of
Terror
Tourism Minister Assures
Safety of Visitors
Trapped In Earthquake
Zone
Panic in San José
San Jose Airport
Open
Gallery of Fotos
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Tourism Minister Assures
Safety of Visitors
Trapped In Earthquake
Zone
The Instituto
Costariccense de Turismo
(ICT) - Costa Rican
tourism board - assured
that it will aid
tourists trapped in
Thursday's earthquake in
the area of Vara Blanca
and visiting the La Paz
waterfalls.
Tourism minister,
Ricardo Benavides, said
that the security of the
visitors is of primary
importance to the ICT.
About 200 tourists were
reported trapped within
the area where the road
was completed
obliterated by
landslides and mud.
Benavides said that
there were no report of
injuries to the visitors
or that they were in any
imminent danger.
The problem with the
rescue is the inability
for land vehicles to
reach the affected,
helicopters were brought
in Thursday night,
however, weather
conditions hampered
operations. In additions
the local helicopters
are not large enough to
evacuate large groups
and for such the
Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE) -
national emergency
commission - has called
on the help of the US
armed forces for the use
of their helicopters
stationed in Honduras.
"For those visitors who
were planning to leave
today (Thursday) or
tomorrow (Friday) we
have accommodations for
them and have talked to
the airlines to resolve
any problems with their
return flights", said
Benavides.
The tourism minister
added that from the
early hours of Friday
morning they will
attempt to get to those
trapped within the area
where there is no longer
any road access. |
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