Rescuers today pulled three more bodies from the collapsed remains of a restaurant called La Estrella, in the village of Cinchona, in north-central Costa Rica.
They are the latest victims of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the country Jan. 8, and bring the total number of confirmed deaths to 23. Eleven others are still missing, and feared dead.
More than 2,300 people are sleeping in churches, schools and tent camps converted into temporary shelters, and meteorologists are expecting a cold front to hit the area any day now. The aftershocks continue, eight days later.
The government has estimated the damage to be around $100 million. Somewhere between 350 and 500 homes have been destroyed in the simple, rural villages where strawberry farms, family-run dairies and ornamental plant nurseries provide most of the income.
Help is needed, and there are ways to donate. Officials are short on simple household items like chapstick, aloe vera and sun block, baby wipes, new, not used, underwear for men, women, boys and girls, adult diapers (they say they have enough baby diapers and towels), toiletries, and more.
Click here for more information on ways to donate money or supplies, or email me at lbaxtern@ticotimes.net.
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