Cambronero, Costa Rica
(CNN Spanish) --
At least 9 people died this Saturday in Costa Rica as a result of a landslide that affected a major highway, the Costa Rican Red Cross confirmed to CNN.
The landslide occurred on Route 1, known as the Cambronero highway, and dragged a double-decker bus and two light vehicles, according to Carlos Herrera, Red Cross National Operations Coordinator.
The part of the institution indicated that 19 patients in stable condition were treated at the site, six who were transferred to a medical center and another "two red patients and three who died on site."
Around 32 emergency units participated in the rescue, as well as members of the fire department and the public force.
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Through a press release, President Rodrigo Chaves sent a hug of solidarity and condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the accident and said that the government is considering declaring an emergency if dangerous conditions persist.
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The statement adds that the executive makes a vehement call to Costa Ricans to take extreme precautionary measures in the face of the worsening of the rainy season.
The passage along this route was closed on Friday due to a landslide caused by heavy rains in recent days, but it was reopened at 1:30 pm on Saturday (local time) in a regulated manner.
The National Emergency Commission (CNE) had declared this Saturday an orange alert throughout the national territory due to the intensity of the downpours, except the Caribbean, and warned that the situation is aggravated by the high level of soil saturation.
According to the National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models of the University of Costa Rica (LanammeUCR), the route where the landslide occurred is one of the most important in the country, because it represents an essential logistical interconnection axis for international and regional trade.
In a report published in 2021, the Laboratory warned that there are points prone to landslides and subsidence, which makes this road "an extremely vulnerable axis and a high priority for intervention."
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