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With three fatalities as a preliminary figure, more than 200 injured and about 300 tourists in an isolated hotel, the Costa Rican authorities are getting ready to face major consequences on Friday by the strong earthquake that hit 6.1 degrees the Costa Rican capital on Thursday.

President Oscar Arias said that "today is a day of mourning for Costa Rica," confirming that "in addition to millions in losses, and reported the death of two girls and an adult by the quake."


These two sisters, 7 and 11 years of age who died buried by an avalanche while the woman suffered a heart attack.

"Tomorrow (Friday), once we know the consequences of the earthquake in infrastructure and houses have been destroyed, we will sign the emergency decree in question, to ask the state institutions necessary resources to address this situation , "said Arias.


The last report of the National Emergency Commission said that 42 communities were damaged and hundreds of people were held incommunicado by derrumbres on roads between those of about 300 tourists a mountain hotel.

The movement was recorded at 13:21 in the afternoon with the epicenter about 35 kilometers northwest of San Jose, near the Poas Volcano National Park, in Alajuela. Its depth was only six kilometers, which led it to be stronger sense, experts say Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI).


The Commission decided to issue a red alert and prevention in order to facilitate the work, and Arias said that on Friday signed a decree to declare a national emergency situation. The president also said he conducted a tour of affected areas.

After the earthquake, OVSICORI reported over 300 aftershocks.


The emergency applies to the cities of Alajuela and Heredia, where are the affected communities, but also to San José and Cartago. These four cities are known as the Greater Metropolitan Area, and concentrated to about two million people.

At the time of the earthquake in San Jose, which lies a large amount of population and economic activity, people ran from homes, buildings and shopping malls. Hospital Mexico, one of the major medical centers state evacuated as a precaution but later restored services.


An AP reporter who was in the city noted that some women hincaron to pray, and many others who were crying for nervousness in places like parks and plazas football. The cell phone service collapsed in scenes that did remember what happened after the earthquake of 7.6 degrees in 1991, with epicenter in the Caribbean.

In Sector West, where major projects are being built up, the works were suspended. "He was very strong, I was up there and what saved me was the harness," said frightened 7 television channel a young worker who only identified himself as Roger.


In Alajuela, closest to the epicenter, the cross of a church collapsed and many buildings were damaged, but superficial.

In Nicaragua on Thursday also saw three tremors between 3.6 and 4.5 degrees on the Pacific coast. The authorities attributed to local faults.